MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Attorneys in the case of a man charged with killing a top Minnesota Democratic lawmaker and her husband said Wednesday that prosecutors have turned over a massive amount of evidence to the defense, and that his lawyers need more time to review it.
Federal prosecutor Harry Jacobs told the court that investigators have provided substantially all of the evidence they have collected against Vance Boelter. He’s pleaded not guilty to murder in the killing of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and to attempted murder in the shootings of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. Some evidence, such as lab reports, continues to come in.
Federal defender Manny Atwal said at the status conference that the evidence includes over 130,000 pages of PDF documents, over 800 hours of audio and video recordings, and over 2,000 photographs from what authorities have called the largest hunt for a suspect in Minnesota history.
Atwal said her team has spent close to 110 hours just downloading the material — not reviewing it — and that they’re still evaluating the evidence, a process she said has gone slowly due to the federal government shutdown.
“That’s not unusual for a complex case but it is lot of information for us to review,” Atwal told Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster.
FILE – This photo made available by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office shows Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of assassinating the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, as he was arrested late Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
FILE – Evidence photos showing the interior of Vance Boelter’s vehicle are presented during a news conference at the United States Courthouse in Minneapolis, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
FILE – This booking photo provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office shows Vance Boelter in Green Isle, Minn., on June 16, 2025. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
1 of 3
FILE – This photo made available by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office shows Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of assassinating the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, as he was arrested late Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Jacobs said he didn’t have a timeline for when the Department of Justice would decide whether to seek the death penalty against Boelter. The decision will be up to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Foster scheduled the next status conference for Feb. 12 and asked prosecutors to keep the defense and court updated in the meantime about their death penalty decision. She did not set a trial date.
Hortman and her husband, Mark, and Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot by a man who came to their suburban homes in the early hours of June 14, disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car.
Boelter, 58, was captured near his home in rural Green Isle late the next day. He faces federal and state charges including murder and attempted murder in what prosecutors have called a political assassination.
Boelter, who was wearing orange and yellow jail clothing, said nothing during the nine-minute hearing.
Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911 and has never had a federal death penalty case. But the Trump administration is pushing for greater use of capital punishment.
Boelter’s attorney has not commented on the substance of the allegations. His motivations remain murky and statements he has made to some media haven’t been fully clear. Friends have described him as a politically conservative evangelical Christian, and occasional preacher and missionary.
Boelter claimed to the conservative outlet Blaze News in August that he never intended to shoot anyone that night but that his plans went horribly wrong.
He told Blaze in a series of hundreds of texts via his jail’s messaging system that he went to the Hoffmans’ home to make citizens’ arrests over what he called his two-year undercover investigation into 400 deaths from the COVID-19 vaccine that he believed were being covered up by the state.
But he told Blaze he opened fire when the Hoffmans and their adult daughter tried to push him out the door and spoiled his plan. He did not explain why went on to allegedly shoot the Hortmans and their golden retriever, Gilbert, who had to be euthanized.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said when she announced Boelter’s indictment on state charges in August that she gave no credence to the claims Boelter had made from jail.
In other recent developments, a Sibley County judge last month granted Boelter’s wife a divorce.
A mayor in Mexico’s western state of Michoacan was shot dead in a plaza in front of dozens of people who had gathered for Day of the Dead festivities, authorities said.Local politicians in Mexico are frequently victims of political and organized crime violence.The mayor of the Uruapan municipality, Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, was gunned down Saturday night in the town’s historic center. He was rushed to a hospital, where he later died, according to state prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña.A city council member and a bodyguard were also injured in the attack.The attacker was killed at the scene, Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch told journalists Sunday.The attack on the mayor was carried out by an unidentified man who shot him seven times, García Harfuch said. The weapon was linked to two armed clashes between rival criminal groups operating in the region, he added.“No line of investigation is being ruled out to clarify this cowardly act that took the life of the mayor,” García Harfuch said.Michoacan is one of Mexico’s most violent states and is a battleground among various cartels and criminal groups fighting for control of territory, drug distribution routes and other illicit activities.On Sunday, hundreds of Uruapan residents, dressed in black and holding up photographs of Manzo Rodríguez, took to the town’s streets to accompany the funeral procession and bid farewell to the slain mayor. They chanted “Justice! Justice! Out with Morena!,” a reference to the ruling party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.In recent months, the Uruapan mayor had publicly appealed to Sheinbaum on social media for help to confront the cartels and criminal groups. He had accused Michoacan’s pro-government governor, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, and the state police of corruption.At the head of the procession, a man led Manzo Rodríguez’s black horse, with one of the mayor’s signature hats placed on the saddle. A group of musicians, also dressed in black, followed and played mariachi songs.In the narrow streets of the agricultural town, where avocados are the main crop, dozens of police and military officers stood guard around the area.The attack on Manzo Rodríguez, a former Morena legislator, was captured on video and shared on social media. The footage shows dozens of residents and tourists, some in costume and with painted faces, enjoying the event surrounded by hundreds of lit candles, marigold flowers and skull decorations. Then several gunshots ring out and people run for cover.In another video, a person is seen lying on the ground as an official performs CPR while armed police officers guard the area.Manzo Rodríguez had been under protection since December 2024, three months after taking office. His security was reinforced last May with municipal police and 14 National Guard officers, García Harfuch said, without specifying what prompted the measure.Manzo Rodríguez, who some nicknamed “The Mexican Bukele” in reference to the tough security policies of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, took office as mayor of Uruapan after winning that year’s midterm elections with an independent movement.The mayor’s killing follows the death of Salvador Bastidas, mayor of the municipality of Tacambaro, also in Michoacan. Bastidas was killed in June along with his bodyguard as he arrived at his home in the town’s Centro neighborhood.In October 2024, journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís was also shot in Uruapan shortly after interviewing Manzo Rodríguez.
URUAPAN, MEXICO —
A mayor in Mexico’s western state of Michoacan was shot dead in a plaza in front of dozens of people who had gathered for Day of the Dead festivities, authorities said.
Local politicians in Mexico are frequently victims of political and organized crime violence.
The mayor of the Uruapan municipality, Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, was gunned down Saturday night in the town’s historic center. He was rushed to a hospital, where he later died, according to state prosecutor Carlos Torres Piña.
A city council member and a bodyguard were also injured in the attack.
The attacker was killed at the scene, Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch told journalists Sunday.
The attack on the mayor was carried out by an unidentified man who shot him seven times, García Harfuch said. The weapon was linked to two armed clashes between rival criminal groups operating in the region, he added.
“No line of investigation is being ruled out to clarify this cowardly act that took the life of the mayor,” García Harfuch said.
Michoacan is one of Mexico’s most violent states and is a battleground among various cartels and criminal groups fighting for control of territory, drug distribution routes and other illicit activities.
On Sunday, hundreds of Uruapan residents, dressed in black and holding up photographs of Manzo Rodríguez, took to the town’s streets to accompany the funeral procession and bid farewell to the slain mayor. They chanted “Justice! Justice! Out with Morena!,” a reference to the ruling party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
In recent months, the Uruapan mayor had publicly appealed to Sheinbaum on social media for help to confront the cartels and criminal groups. He had accused Michoacan’s pro-government governor, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, and the state police of corruption.
At the head of the procession, a man led Manzo Rodríguez’s black horse, with one of the mayor’s signature hats placed on the saddle. A group of musicians, also dressed in black, followed and played mariachi songs.
In the narrow streets of the agricultural town, where avocados are the main crop, dozens of police and military officers stood guard around the area.
The attack on Manzo Rodríguez, a former Morena legislator, was captured on video and shared on social media. The footage shows dozens of residents and tourists, some in costume and with painted faces, enjoying the event surrounded by hundreds of lit candles, marigold flowers and skull decorations. Then several gunshots ring out and people run for cover.
In another video, a person is seen lying on the ground as an official performs CPR while armed police officers guard the area.
Manzo Rodríguez had been under protection since December 2024, three months after taking office. His security was reinforced last May with municipal police and 14 National Guard officers, García Harfuch said, without specifying what prompted the measure.
Manzo Rodríguez, who some nicknamed “The Mexican Bukele” in reference to the tough security policies of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, took office as mayor of Uruapan after winning that year’s midterm elections with an independent movement.
The mayor’s killing follows the death of Salvador Bastidas, mayor of the municipality of Tacambaro, also in Michoacan. Bastidas was killed in June along with his bodyguard as he arrived at his home in the town’s Centro neighborhood.
In October 2024, journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís was also shot in Uruapan shortly after interviewing Manzo Rodríguez.
Following the September assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have shaped their political agenda by blaming the left for political violence.
“Political violence, it’s just a statistical fact that it’s a bigger problem on the left,” Vance said while guest-hosting The Charlie Kirk Show podcast Oct. 15 in the aftermath of Kirk’s killing. About a minute later, he added, “Right now that violent impulse is a bigger problem on the left than the right.”
A Vance spokesperson did not answer our questions. When referring to left-wing violence, a White House spokesperson recently pointed to a Sept. 28 Axios article about a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonprofit policy research organization.
The study found that “2025 marks the first time in more than 30 years that left-wing terrorist attacks outnumber those from the violent far right.” The study also showed that for the 30 years before 2025, right-wing attacks had outpaced left-wing attacks.
“The rise in left-wing attacks merits increased attention, but the fall in right-wing attacks is probably temporary, and it too requires a government response,” the study’s authors wrote.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
Vance’s statement oversimplified political violence and drew from part of one study of a six-month period. The federal government has no single, official definition of “political violence” and ascribing ideologies such as left-wing and right-wing is sometimes complicated. There is no agreed upon number of left- or right-wing politically violent attacks.
Research before 2025 largely points to higher levels of right-wing violence over longer periods of time.
Trump has used the administration’s statements about rising left-wing violence to designate antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, and administration officials also said they will investigate what they call left-wing groups that fund violence.
Although political violence is a small subset of violent crime in the U.S., it “has a disproportionate impact because even rare incidents can amplify fear, influence policy and deepen societal polarization,” University of Dayton sociology professors Arthur Jipson and Paul J. Becker wrote in September after Kirk’s assassination.
In an email interview with PolitiFact, Becker said the report in question, “indicates there MAY be a shift occurring from the Right being more violent but 5 vs. 1 incidents in 6 months isn’t enough to completely erase years of data and reports from multiple sources showing the opposite or to dictate new policies.”
Study examined three decades of political violence
The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a national security and defense think tank, published a September report examining 750 terrorist attacks and plots in the U.S. between 1994 and July 4, 2025.
The report defined terrorism as the use or threat of violence “with the intent to achieve political goals by creating a broad psychological impact.”
The authors wrote that it is difficult to pinpoint some perpetrators’ ideologies, which in some cases are more of what former FBI director Christopher Wray called a “salad bar of ideologies.” For example, Thomas Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Trump in 2024, searched the internet more than 60 times for Trump and then-President Joe Biden in the month before the attack.
The full CSIS report gave a more complete picture of politically motivated violence:
Left-wing violence has risen from low levels since 2016. “It has risen from very low levels and remains much lower than historical levels of violence carried out by right-wing and jihadist attackers.”
Right-wing attacks sharply declined in 2025, perhaps because right-wing extremist grievances such as opposition to abortion, hostility to immigration and suspicion of government agencies are “embraced by President Trump and his administration.” The report quotes Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader pardoned by Trump, who said, “Honestly, what do we have to complain about these days?”
Left-wing attacks have been less deadly than right-wing attacks. In the past decade, left-wing attacks have killed 13 victims, compared with 112 for right-wing attackers. The report cited several reasons, including that left-wing attackers often choose targets that are protected such as government or law enforcement facilities, and target specific individuals.
The number of incidents by the left is small. A graphic in the report showing the rise in left-wing attacks in 2025 as of July 4 is visually striking. It is based on a small number of incidents: four attacks and one disrupted plot.
Studies have not uniformly agreed on some attackers’ ideological classifications. The libertarian Cato Institute categorized the person charged in the shooting deaths of two Israeli embassy staffers in May 2025 as left-wing, while the CSIS study described the motivation as “ethnonationalist.” (Ethnonationalism is a political ideology based on heritage, such as ethnic identity, which can create clashes with other groups.) The Cato study counted only deaths while the CSIS analysis was not limited to deaths.
“While Vance’s statement has a factual anchor for that limited timespan, it selectively emphasizes one short-term slice rather than the broader trend,” Jipson, of the University of Dayton, told PolitiFact. “In that sense, it can be misleading: It may give the impression that left-wing violence is generally now more dangerous or prevalent, which is not borne out by the longer view of the data.”
A photo of Trump is seen at a growing memorial for Charlie Kirk outside Timpanogos Regional Hospital after Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP)
The Cato analysis, published after Kirk’s death, said 3,597 people were killed in politically motivated U.S. terrorist attacks from Jan. 1, 1975, through Sept. 10, 2025.
Cato found right-wing attacks were more common than left-wing. This research has been highlighted by some House Democrats.
Cato wrote that during that time period, terrorists inspired by Islamist ideology were responsible for 87% of people killed in attacks on U.S. soil, while right-wing attackers accounted for 11% and left-wing terrorists accounted for about 2%. Excluding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks showed right-wing attackers were responsible for a majority of deaths. Measuring homicides since 2020 also showed a larger number by the right than the left.
Our ruling
Vance said, “Political violence, it’s just a statistical fact that it’s a bigger problem on the left.”
Vance did not point to a source, but a White House spokesperson separately cited an article about a study that examined political violence from 1994 to July 4, 2025. It found in the first six months of 2025, left-wing terrorist attacks outnumbered those by the right. It is based on a small number of incidents: four attacks and one disrupted plot.
The study also showed that for 30 years before 2025, right-wing attacks had outpaced left-wing attacks.
The study detailed that left-wing “remains much lower than historical levels of violence carried out by right-wing and jihadist attackers.” Research before 2025 largely points to higher levels of right-wing violence over longer periods of time.
The statement contains an element of truth because left-wing violence rose in the first six months of 2025. However, it ignores that right-wing violence was higher for a much longer period of time. We rate this statement Mostly False.
Chief Correspondent Louis Jacobson contributed to this fact-check.
WASHINGTON — The United States struck another small boat accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, killing six people, President Donald Trump said Tuesday.
Those who died in the strike were aboard the vessel, and no U.S. forces were harmed, the Republican president said in a social media post. It’s the fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean as Trump’s administration has asserted it’s treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with military force.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN – Associated Press
The home of Rep. Oye Owolewa, the District’s shadow representative and council candidate, was recently vandalized with blue spray paint.
The home of Rep. Oye Owolewa, the District’s shadow representative and council candidate, was recently vandalized with blue spray paint.
Owolewa said in a release Sunday that he contacted the 7th District D.C. police after finding “F U” spray-painted in blue on the exterior of his home.
The official made the discovery after returning home from the Anacostia Coordinating Council Annual Boat Cruise.
Owolewa condemned the vandalism as a “form of political violence.”
“I live in a townhome community where my house looks exactly like everyone else’s. This attack seems to be deliberately targeting me,” he said in a statement.
Vandalism documented on the home of Rep. Oye Owolewa, who serves as D.C. shadow representative.
(Courtesy Office of Rep. Oye Owolewa)
Courtesy Office of Rep. Oye Owolewa
Foul language recently spray-painted in blue at the entrance of Rep. Oye Owolewa’s home.
(Courtesy Office of Rep. Oye Owolewa)
Courtesy Office of Rep. Oye Owolewa
“I understand that I’m an easy target due to my honest critiques of President Trump, Mayor Bowser and the DC Council. I understand folks may not like that I’m running against the status quo and that I’m doing it so unapologetically. Ultimately, I believe that those who attacked my home are trying to intimidate me.”
The vandalism, Owolewa said, comes one year after his near death car accident in 2024.
“As a community public servant, I’ve always fought for the betterment of local quality of life. As a DC Council candidate, I’m focused on fighting to rebuild DC’s working and middle class. And I won’t be intimidated,” he said.
For the last five years, Owolewa has served as D.C.’s shadow representative, having announced in August that he would not be seeking a reelection for the post. He is presently in the running for the Democratic nomination for D.C. Council member at large.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
RICHMOND, Va. — RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s Democratic candidate for attorney general has apologized for widely condemned text messages from 2022 that revealed him suggesting that a prominent Republican get “two bullets to the head.”
The texts put the Democratic challenger, Jay Jones, on the defensive in what has been a hard-hitting campaign. Early voting is well underway in Virginia ahead of the November general election.
Jones’ campaign didn’t challenge the accuracy of the texts, first reported by The National Review, and he offered a public apology to Todd Gilbert, the target of the messages. Jones said he took “full responsibility for my actions.” Gilbert was speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates at the time of the text messages but is no longer a legislator.
Jones has faced a torrent of bipartisan criticism since the messages surfaced. Jones is challenging Republican incumbent Jason Miyares for the job as Virginia’s top prosecutor.
Miyares ripped into Jones on Saturday, questioning his challenger’s fitness for the job.
“You have to be coming from an incredibly dark place to say what you said,” Miyares told reporters. “Not by a stranger. By a colleague. Somebody you had served with. Someone you have worked with.”
Jones and Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner spoke in a phone conversation following the text exchange, in which Jones described Gilbert’s children dying in the arms of their mother, according to the National Review’s report.
“I have been a prosecutor, and I have been obviously serving as attorney general,” Miyares said. “I have met quietly one-on-one with victims. There is no cry like the cry of a mother that lost her child. None.”
A spokesperson for the Virginia House Republican caucus, contacted on Saturday by The Associated Press, said Gilbert was not commenting on the text messages. Gilbert stepped down as a legislator to become a federal prosecutor this year but resigned a month later.
The revelation about the text messages shook up the campaign and comes as both parties seek advantage in statewide races being closely watched for trends heading into next year’s midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. And it comes amid an escalating threat of political violence in the country following the shooting deaths of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.
In Virginia, other Democrats running for statewide office didn’t mince words in criticizing Jones.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said in a statement Friday that she “spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted. I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words.” She vowed to ”always condemn violent language in our politics.”
Ghazala Hashmi, the Democrat running for lieutenant governor, said “political violence has no place in our country and I condemn it at every turn.” Hashmi added that “we must demand better of our leaders and of each other.” Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in Virginia.
The Republican Attorneys General Association said Jones should withdraw from the campaign for his “abhorrent” text messages. The group’s chairman, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, said the messages were unacceptable “from someone who wants to represent law enforcement.”
“There is no place for political violence, including joking about it – especially from an elected official,” Kobach said.
Jones did not hold elected office when he sent the text messages about Gilbert to Coyner, who is seeking reelection in a competitive House district. Jones had formerly served as a state legislator, and stepped down in 2021.
In his texts, Jones wrote: “Three people two bullets … Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot … Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” Pol Pot was the leader of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.
In his statement Friday, Jones said: “Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed and sorry.”
“I have reached out to Speaker Gilbert to apologize directly to him, his wife Jennifer, and their children,” he added. “I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology.”
The Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general, Jay Jones, apologized Friday after text messages in which he jokingly sent to a colleague about shooting former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert surfaced.
The Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general, Jay Jones, apologized Friday after text messages in which he jokingly sent to a colleague about shooting former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert surfaced.
The National Review was first to report on Jones’ text messages that were sent to Republican House of Delegates candidate Carrie Coyner in 2022. At the time, Jones wrote:
Three people, two bullets
Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot
Gilbert gets two bullets to the head
Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time
Coyner responded: “Please stop. … It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them.”
In a statement, Jones said he takes full responsibility for his actions and apologized to Gilbert and his family.
“Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry,” he wrote. “I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology.”
Brandon Jarvis, founder and managing editor of Virginia Scope, spoke with WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli about the messages and its effect in the attorney general race.
Jarvis said that Democratic nominee for governor Abigail Spanberger “said that she had a conversation with Jones, told him that she does not like the comments he made. She called them disgusting, and then she pivoted toward lowering the partisan hatred.”
In a statement, Spanberger wrote, “I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate — and as the next Governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”
Earlier this week, Jones also reportedly had multiple incidents of speeding and was cited by Virginia State Police for driving at 116 mph down Interstate 64 in 2022, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
“We couldn’t find any evidence of him being arrested at the time for that very high speed. He did serve 1,000 hours of community service. About 500 of the hours were served with his own political action committee,” Jarvis said.
Jones’ statement left his current run for the state’s attorney general seat up in the air.
“Virginians deserve honest leaders who admit when they are wrong and own up to their mistakes. This was a grave mistake and I will work every day to prove to the people of Virginia that I will fight for them as Attorney General,” he wrote.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears said in a video posted to X that Jones should drop out of the attorney general race and criticized Spanberger for eliciting political violence by calling on voters to “let your rage fuel you.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
President Trump said this task force will replicate what is happening on the streets of Washington DC. The president said the goal is to essentially put an end to crime in Memphis and mirror the actions taking place in the nation’s capital. The memorandum President Trump signed on Monday did not include details on when troops would be deployed or exactly what his promised surge in law enforcement efforts would actually look like. Tennessee’s governor embraced the deployment while the mayor of Memphis is not thrilled with the plan. Crime that’s going on not only in Memphis in many cities and we’re gonna take care of all of them step by step just like we did in DC. We’ll have folks without training interacting with our citizenry, and there’s *** chance that that will compromise our due process rights. The president also mentioned he’s still looking to send National Guard troops to more Democratic-led cities like Baltimore, New Orleans, and Saint Louis. In Washington, I’m Rachel Herzheimer.
Trump says he’ll send troops to Portland, Oregon, as he expands military deployments in US cities
President Donald Trump said Saturday he will send troops to Portland, Oregon, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” to handle “domestic terrorists” as he expands his controversial deployments to more American cities.Related video above: President Trump announces National Guard deployment to MemphisHe made the announcement on social media, writing that he was directing the Department of Defense to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland.”Trump said the decision was necessary to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, which he described as “under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”The White House did not immediately respond to a request for details on Trump’s announcement, such as a timeline for the deployment or what troops would be involved. He previously threatened to send the National Guard into Chicago without following through. A deployment in Memphis, Tennessee, is expected to include only about 150 troops, far fewer than were sent to the District of Columbia for Trump’s crackdown or in Los Angeles in response to immigration protests.Pentagon officials did not immediately respond to requests for information.Since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Republican president has escalated his efforts to confront what he calls the “radical left,” which he blames for the country’s problems with political violence.He deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the summer and as part of his law enforcement takeover in the nation’s capital. The ICE facility in Portland has been the target of frequent demonstrations, sometimes leading to violent clashes. Some federal agents have been injured and several protesters have been charged with assault. When protesters erected a guillotine earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security described it as “unhinged behavior.”Trump, in comments Thursday in the Oval Office, suggested some kind of operation was in the works.“We’re going to get out there and we’re going to do a pretty big number on those people in Portland,” he said, describing them as “professional agitators and anarchists.”Earlier in September, Trump had described living in Portland as “like living in hell” and said he was considering sending in federal troops, as he has recently threatened to do to combat crime in other cities, including Chicago and Baltimore. “Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for — and do not need — federal intervention,” Portland’s mayor, Keith Wilson, said in a statement after Trump’s threat. Wilson said his city had protected freedom of expression while “addressing occasional violence and property destruction.”In Tennessee, Memphis has been bracing for an influx of National Guard troops, and on Friday, Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who helped coordinate the operation, said they will be part of a surge of resources to fight crime in the city.
WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump said Saturday he will send troops to Portland, Oregon, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” to handle “domestic terrorists” as he expands his controversial deployments to more American cities.
Related video above:President Trump announces National Guard deployment to Memphis
He made the announcement on social media, writing that he was directing the Department of Defense to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland.”
Trump said the decision was necessary to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, which he described as “under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for details on Trump’s announcement, such as a timeline for the deployment or what troops would be involved. He previously threatened to send the National Guard into Chicago without following through. A deployment in Memphis, Tennessee, is expected to include only about 150 troops, far fewer than were sent to the District of Columbia for Trump’s crackdown or in Los Angeles in response to immigration protests.
Pentagon officials did not immediately respond to requests for information.
Since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Republican president has escalated his efforts to confront what he calls the “radical left,” which he blames for the country’s problems with political violence.
He deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the summer and as part of his law enforcement takeover in the nation’s capital.
The ICE facility in Portland has been the target of frequent demonstrations, sometimes leading to violent clashes. Some federal agents have been injured and several protesters have been charged with assault. When protesters erected a guillotine earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security described it as “unhinged behavior.”
Trump, in comments Thursday in the Oval Office, suggested some kind of operation was in the works.
“We’re going to get out there and we’re going to do a pretty big number on those people in Portland,” he said, describing them as “professional agitators and anarchists.”
Earlier in September, Trump had described living in Portland as “like living in hell” and said he was considering sending in federal troops, as he has recently threatened to do to combat crime in other cities, including Chicago and Baltimore.
“Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for — and do not need — federal intervention,” Portland’s mayor, Keith Wilson, said in a statement after Trump’s threat. Wilson said his city had protected freedom of expression while “addressing occasional violence and property destruction.”
In Tennessee, Memphis has been bracing for an influx of National Guard troops, and on Friday, Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who helped coordinate the operation, said they will be part of a surge of resources to fight crime in the city.
President Trump said this task force will replicate what is happening on the streets of Washington DC. The president said the goal is to essentially put an end to crime in Memphis and mirror the actions taking place in the nation’s capital. The memorandum President Trump signed on Monday did not include details on when troops would be deployed or exactly what his promised surge in law enforcement efforts would actually look like. Tennessee’s governor embraced the deployment while the mayor of Memphis is not thrilled with the plan. Crime that’s going on not only in Memphis in many cities and we’re gonna take care of all of them step by step just like we did in DC. We’ll have folks without training interacting with our citizenry, and there’s *** chance that that will compromise our due process rights. The president also mentioned he’s still looking to send National Guard troops to more Democratic-led cities like Baltimore, New Orleans, and Saint Louis. In Washington, I’m Rachel Herzheimer.
Trump says he’ll send troops to Portland, Oregon, as he expands military deployments in US cities
President Donald Trump said Saturday he will send troops to Portland, Oregon, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” to handle “domestic terrorists” as he expands his controversial deployments to more American cities.Related video above: President Trump announces National Guard deployment to MemphisHe made the announcement on social media, writing that he was directing the Department of Defense to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland.”Trump said the decision was necessary to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, which he described as “under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”Since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Republican president has escalated his efforts to confront what he calls the “radical left,” which he blames for the country’s problems with political violence.He deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the summer and as part of his law enforcement takeover in the District of Columbia.The ICE facility in Portland has been the target of frequent demonstrations, sometimes leading to violent clashes. Some federal agents have been injured and several protesters have been charged with assault. When protesters erected a guillotine earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security described it as “unhinged behavior.”Trump, in comments Thursday in the Oval Office, suggested some kind of operation was in the works.“We’re going to get out there and we’re going to do a pretty big number on those people in Portland,” he said, describing them as “professional agitators and anarchists.”Earlier in September, Trump had described living in Portland as “like living in hell” and said he was considering sending in federal troops, as he has recently threatened to do to combat crime in other cities, including Chicago and Baltimore.“Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for -– and do not need -– federal intervention,” Portland’s mayor, Keith Wilson, said in a statement after Trump’s threat. Wilson said his city had protected freedom of expression while “addressing occasional violence and property destruction.”In Tennessee, Memphis has been bracing for an influx of National Guard troops, and on Friday Republican Gov. Bill Lee said they will be part of a surge of resources to fight crime in the city.
WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump said Saturday he will send troops to Portland, Oregon, to handle what he called “domestic terrorists” as he expands his controversial deployments to more American cities.
Related video above:President Trump announces National Guard deployment to Memphis
He made the announcement on social media, writing that he was directing the Department of Defense to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland.”
“I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” Trump said.
Trump said the decision was necessary to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, which he described as “under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”
Since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Republican president has escalated his efforts to confront what he calls the “radical left,” which he blames for the country’s problems with political violence.
Earlier in September, Trump had described living in Portland as “like living in hell” and said he was considering sending in federal troops, as he has recently threatened to do to combat crime in other cities, including Chicago and Baltimore.
He deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles over the summer and as part of his law enforcement takeover in the District of Columbia.
In Tennessee, Memphis has been bracing for an influx of National Guard troops, and on Friday Republican Gov. Bill Lee said they will be part of a surge of resources to fight crime in the city.
At a tense political moment in the wake of conservative lightning rod Charlie Kirk’s killing, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum focusing federal law enforcement on disrupting “domestic terrorism.”
The memo appeared to focus on political violence. But during a White House signing Thursday, the president and his top advisors repeatedly hinted at a much broader campaign of suppression against the American left, referencing as problematic both the simple printing of protest signs and the prominent racial justice movement Black Lives Matter.
“We’re looking at the funders of a lot of these groups. You know, when you see the signs and they’re all beautiful signs made professionally, these aren’t your protesters that make the sign in their basement late in the evening because they really believe it. These are anarchists and agitators,” Trump said.
“Whether it be going back to the riots that started with Black Lives Matter and all the way through to the antifa riots, the attacks on ICE officers, the doxxing campaigns and now the political assassinations — these are not lone, isolated events,” said Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff. “This is part of an organized campaign of radical left terrorism.”
Neither Trump nor Miller nor the other top administration officials flanking them — including Vice President JD Vance, Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel — offered any evidence of such a widespread left-wing terror campaign, or many details about how the memo would be put into action.
Law enforcement officials have said Kirk’s alleged shooter appears to have acted alone, and data on domestic extremism more broadly — including some recently scrubbed from the Justice Department’s website — suggest right-wing extremists represent the larger threat.
Many on the right cheered Trump’s memo — just as many on the left cheered calls by Democrats for a clampdown on right-wing extremism during the Biden administration, particularly in light of the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. In that incident, more than 1,500 were criminally charged, many convicted of assaulting police officers and some for sedition, before Trump pardoned them or commuted their sentences.
Many critics of the administration slammed the memo as a “chilling” threat that called to mind some of the most notorious periods of political suppression in the nation’s history — a claim the White House dismissed as wildly off base and steeped in liberal hypocrisy.
That includes the Red Scare and the often less acknowledged Lavender Scare of the Cold War and beyond, they said, when Sen. Joseph McCarthy and other federal officials cast a pall over the nation, its social justice movements and its arts scene by promising to purge from government anyone who professed a belief in certain political ideas — such as communism — or was gay or lesbian or otherwise queer.
Douglas M. Charles, a history professor at Penn State Greater Allegheny and author of “Hoover’s War on Gays: Exposing the FBI’s ‘Sex Deviates’ Program,” said Trump’s memo strongly paralleled past government efforts at political repression — including in its claim that “extremism on migration, race and gender” and “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity” are all causing violence in the country.
“What is this, McCarthyism redux?” Charles asked.
Melina Abdullah, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, said the Trump administration is putting “targets on the backs of organizers” like her.
Abdullah, speaking Friday from Washington, D.C., where she is attending the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference, said Trump’s efforts to cast left-leaning advocacy groups as a threat to democracy was “the definition of gaslighting” because the president “and his entire regime are violent.”
“They are anti-Black. They are anti-people. They are anti-free speech,” Abdullah said. “What we are is indeed an organized body of people who want freedom for our people — and that is a demand for the kind of sustainable peace that only comes with justice.”
Others, including prominent California Democrats, framed Trump’s memo and other recent administration acts — including Thursday’s indictment of former FBI Director James Comey over the objections of career prosecutors — as a worrying blueprint for much wider vengeance on Trump’s behalf, which must be resisted.
“Trump is waging a crusade of retribution — abusing the federal government as a weapon of personal revenge,” Gov. Gavin Newsom posted to X. “Today it’s his enemies. Tomorrow it may be you. Speak out. Use your voice.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, left, FBI Director Kash Patel and Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi listen to President Trump Thursday in the Oval Office.
(Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta noted that the memo listed various incidents of violence against Republicans while “deliberately ignoring” violence against Democrats, and said that while it is unclear what may come of the order, “the chilling effect is real and cannot be ignored.”
Bonta also sent Bondi a letter Friday expressing his “grave concern” with the Comey indictment and asking her to “reassert the long-standing independence of the U.S. Department of Justice from political interference by declining to continue these politically-motivated investigations and prosecutions.”
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said the Trump administration is twisting Kirk’s tragic killing “into a pretext to weaponize the federal government against opponents Trump says he ‘hates.’”
“In recent days, they’ve branded entire groups — including the Democratic Party itself — as threats, directed [the Justice Department] to go after his perceived enemies, and coerced companies to stifle any criticism of the Administration or its allies. This is pure personal grievance and retribution,” Padilla said. “If this abuse of power is normalized, no dissenting voice will be safe.”
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said it was “the highest form of hypocrisy for Democrats to falsely claim accountability is ‘political retribution’ when Joe Biden is the one who spent years weaponizing his entire Administration against President Trump and millions of patriotic Americans.”
Jackson accused the Biden administration of censoring average Americans for their posts about COVID-19 on social media and of prosecuting “peaceful pro-life protestors,” among other things, and said the Trump administration “will continue to deliver the truth to the American people, restore integrity to our justice system, and take action to stop radical left-wing violence that is plaguing American communities.”
A month ago, Miller said, “The Democrat Party is not a political party. It is a domestic extremist organization” — a quote raising new concerns in light of Trump’s memo.
On Sept. 16, Bondi said on X that “the radical left” has for too long normalized threats and cheered on political violence, and that she would be ending that by somehow prosecuting them for “hate speech.”
Constitutional scholars — and some prominent conservative pundits — ridiculed Bondi’s claims as contrary to the 1st Amendment.
On Sept. 18, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein reported that unnamed national security officials had told him that the FBI was considering treating transgender suspects as a “subset” of a new threat category known as “Nihilistic Violent Extremists” — a concept LGBTQ+ organizations scrambled to denounce as a threat to everyone’s civil liberties.
“Everyone should be repulsed by the attempts to use the power of the federal government against their neighbors, their friends, and our families,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said Wednesday. “It creates a dangerous precedent that could one day be used against other Americans, progressive or conservative or anywhere in between.”
In recent days, Trump has unabashedly attacked his critics — including late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, whose show was briefly suspended. On Sept. 20, he demanded on his Truth Social platform that Bondi move to prosecute several of his most prominent political opponents, including Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James.
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” wrote Trump, the only felon to ever occupy the White House. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
Comey’s indictment — on charges of lying to Congress — was reported shortly after the White House event where Trump signed the memo. Trump declined to discuss Comey at the event, and was vague about who else might be targeted under the memo. But he did say he had heard “a lot of different names,” including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and George Soros, two prominent Democratic donors.
“If they are funding these things, they’re gonna have some problems,” Trump said, without providing any evidence of wrongdoing by either man.
The Open Society Foundations, which have disbursed billions from Soros’ fortune to an array of progressive groups globally, said in response that they “unequivocally condemn terrorism and do not fund terrorism” and that their activities “are peaceful and lawful.” Accusations suggesting otherwise were “politically motivated attacks on civil society, meant to silence speech the administration disagrees with,” the group said.
John Day, president-elect of the American College of Trial Lawyers, said his organization has not taken a position on Trump’s memo, but had grave concerns about the process by which Comey was indicted — namely, after Trump called for such legal action publicly.
“That, quite frankly, is very disturbing and concerning to us,” Day said. “This is not the way the legal system was designed to work, and it’s not the way it has worked for 250 years, and we are just very concerned that this happened at all,” Day said. “We’re praying that it is an outlier, as opposed to a predictor of what’s to come.”
James Kirchick, author of “Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington,” which covers the Lavender Scare and its effects on the LGBTQ+ community in detail, said the “strongest similarity” he sees between then and now is the administration “taking the actions of an individual or a small number of people” — such as Kirk’s shooter — “and extrapolating that onto an entire class of people.”
Kirchick said language on the left labeling the president a dictator isn’t helpful in such a political moment, but that he has found some of the administration’s language more alarming — especially, in light of the new memo, Miller’s suggestion that the Democratic Party is an extremist organization.
“Does that mean the Democratic Party is going to be subject to FBI raids and extremist surveillance?” he asked.
President Donald Trump on Monday signed an order designating a decentralized movement known as antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, though whether he can actually do that remained unclear. Trump blames antifa for political violence.The Republican president said on social media last week during a state visit to the United Kingdom that he would be making such a designation. He called antifa a “SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER” and said he will be “strongly recommending” that its funders be investigated.The White House released Trump’s executive order shortly after he departed for New York, where he was addressing the annual meeting of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.Here are a few things to know about Trump and antifa:What is antifa?Short for “anti-fascists,” antifa is not a single organization but rather an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that confront or resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations.Can Trump designate it as a domestic terrorist organization?Antifa is a domestic entity and, as such, is not a candidate for inclusion on the State Department’s list of foreign terror organizations. Dozens of groups, including extremist organizations like the Islamic State and al-Qaida, are included on that list. The designation matters in part because it enables the Justice Department to prosecute those who give material support to entities on that list even if that support does not result in violence.But there is no domestic equivalent to that list in part because of broad First Amendment protections enjoyed by organizations operating within the United States. And despite periodic calls, particularly after mass shootings by white supremacists, to establish a domestic terrorism law, no singular statute now exists.The executive order did not specify how Trump would go about designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.What does antifa do exactly?Literature from the antifa movement encourages followers to pursue lawful protest activity as well as more confrontational acts, according to a 2018 Congressional Research Service report.The literature suggests that followers monitor the activities of white supremacist groups, publicize online the personal information of perceived enemies, develop self-defense training regimens and compel outside organizations to cancel any speakers or events with “a fascist bent,” the report said.People associated with antifa have been present for significant demonstrations and counter-demonstrations in recent years, including mobilizing against a white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. They were also present during clashes with far-right groups in Portland, Oregon.Why did Trump label antifa as domestic terrorists?He says it’s a very bad and “sick” group. The executive order says antifa “uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide” to accomplish its goal of overthrowing the U.S. government. The order calls on relevant government departments and agencies to use every authority to investigate, disrupt and dismantle any and all illegal operations, including terrorist actions conducted by antifa or anyone claiming to act on its behalf.Trump’s history with antifaIn Trump’s first term, he and members of his administration singled out antifa as being responsible for the violence at protests triggered by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes and held it there even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air.Then-Attorney General William Barr described “antifa-like tactics” by out-of-state agitators and said antifa was instigating violence and engaging in “domestic terrorism” and would be dealt with accordingly.At the time, Trump blamed antifa by name for the violence, along with violent mobs, arsonists and looters.He recently began singling out antifa again by name following the Sept. 10 assassination of conservative youth activist Charlie Kirk, who was a big supporter of the president.In an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office last week, Trump said he would pursue a domestic terrorism designation for antifa if such a move had the support of Pam Bondi, the current attorney general, and other Cabinet members.“It’s something I would do, yeah,” Trump said. ”I would do that 100%. Antifa is terrible.”He previously had called for antifa to be designated as a terror organization after skirmishes in Portland, Oregon, during his first term.
WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump on Monday signed an order designating a decentralized movement known as antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, though whether he can actually do that remained unclear. Trump blames antifa for political violence.
The Republican president said on social media last week during a state visit to the United Kingdom that he would be making such a designation. He called antifa a “SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER” and said he will be “strongly recommending” that its funders be investigated.
The White House released Trump’s executive order shortly after he departed for New York, where he was addressing the annual meeting of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.
Here are a few things to know about Trump and antifa:
What is antifa?
Short for “anti-fascists,” antifa is not a single organization but rather an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that confront or resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations.
Can Trump designate it as a domestic terrorist organization?
Antifa is a domestic entity and, as such, is not a candidate for inclusion on the State Department’s list of foreign terror organizations. Dozens of groups, including extremist organizations like the Islamic State and al-Qaida, are included on that list. The designation matters in part because it enables the Justice Department to prosecute those who give material support to entities on that list even if that support does not result in violence.
But there is no domestic equivalent to that list in part because of broad First Amendment protections enjoyed by organizations operating within the United States. And despite periodic calls, particularly after mass shootings by white supremacists, to establish a domestic terrorism law, no singular statute now exists.
The executive order did not specify how Trump would go about designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
What does antifa do exactly?
Literature from the antifa movement encourages followers to pursue lawful protest activity as well as more confrontational acts, according to a 2018 Congressional Research Service report.
The literature suggests that followers monitor the activities of white supremacist groups, publicize online the personal information of perceived enemies, develop self-defense training regimens and compel outside organizations to cancel any speakers or events with “a fascist bent,” the report said.
People associated with antifa have been present for significant demonstrations and counter-demonstrations in recent years, including mobilizing against a white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. They were also present during clashes with far-right groups in Portland, Oregon.
Why did Trump label antifa as domestic terrorists?
He says it’s a very bad and “sick” group. The executive order says antifa “uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide” to accomplish its goal of overthrowing the U.S. government. The order calls on relevant government departments and agencies to use every authority to investigate, disrupt and dismantle any and all illegal operations, including terrorist actions conducted by antifa or anyone claiming to act on its behalf.
Trump’s history with antifa
In Trump’s first term, he and members of his administration singled out antifa as being responsible for the violence at protests triggered by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes and held it there even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air.
Then-Attorney General William Barr described “antifa-like tactics” by out-of-state agitators and said antifa was instigating violence and engaging in “domestic terrorism” and would be dealt with accordingly.
At the time, Trump blamed antifa by name for the violence, along with violent mobs, arsonists and looters.
He recently began singling out antifa again by name following the Sept. 10 assassination of conservative youth activist Charlie Kirk, who was a big supporter of the president.
In an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office last week, Trump said he would pursue a domestic terrorism designation for antifa if such a move had the support of Pam Bondi, the current attorney general, and other Cabinet members.
“It’s something I would do, yeah,” Trump said. ”I would do that 100%. Antifa is terrible.”
He previously had called for antifa to be designated as a terror organization after skirmishes in Portland, Oregon, during his first term.
Sep. 20—Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks this past weekend called for more discourse and free speech in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination while also condemning an Oskaloosa teacher who exercised his free speech by celebrating the conservative activist’s death in an inflammatory post on social media.
“We need more debate. We need more discourse. We need more free speech,” she said. “But we also have to hold people accountable.”
The congresswoman’s conflicting message was given during the Jasper County Republican Party Trapshoot fundraiser on Sept. 13 in Newton. Miller-Meeks prefaced her remarks by saying there is a lot of extremism in politics now and that elected officials should be counted on to “bring down the temperature.”
Miller-Meeks also told fellow party members that there is no place for political violence in the United States and that Republicans have to make that known. She also mentioned that she condemned the assassination of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband back in June.
Miller-Meeks claimed Kirk’s main goals in life were to have more debate and more discourse and to support free speech. However, she also said people have to be held accountable for their speech, particularly when it comes to celebrating political violence. She specifically mentioned the incident in Oskaloosa.
According to local media reports, high school art teacher Matt Kargol posted the message “1 Nazi down” on his personal Facebook page after Kirk was killed. The post has since been deleted and the Oskaloosa superintendent recommended he be fired. Miller-Meeks said on Twitter/X that she was “disturbed” by the post.
“Cheering political violence is always wrong and should never be done by those who educate our children,” Miller-Meeks said in the Twitter/X on Sept. 10, noting she reached out to the school district. “I will be contacting the superintendent and principal first thing in the morning to ensure this is addressed immediately.”
The Oskaloosa School Board is scheduled to consider whether to terminate Kargol’s contract at its Sept. 17 meeting. Miller-Meeks told Republicans it is important for them to know their elected leaders want to “tamp down the rhetoric” and make sure people in positions of authority are “held to a higher standard.”
At the trapshoot, Miller-Meeks provided party members with an update that was met with applause.
“That individual has been terminated,” she said. “Now, of course, they’ll have due process, as they should. But at this point in time they’re recommending, well, they’re not terminating, but they recommend termination. But they went through the process. And that’s what we hope for everyone else.”
Other employees across the United States are being reprimanded — or “canceled” — for similar remarks about Kirk’s death. Lawmakers in Iowa have called for the firing of university employees who celebrated Kirk’s death. Vice President J.D. Vance even encouraged people to contact employers.
Free speech is a constitutional right of the United States of America, and it is protected under the First Amendment. However, some speech is not protected by the First Amendment, including incitement of imminent lawless actions, obscenity, defamation and true threats or fighting words.
When it comes to school employees expressing themselves, oftentimes districts develop policies that limit or restrict speech.
For instance, the Newton Community School District’s employee handbook says that teachers who use social media platforms are encouraged to remember the school community may not be able to separate employees as private citizens from their role within the district.
The handbook goes on to say that if an employee’s expression on social media platforms interferes with the district’s operations or prevents the district or employee from functioning efficiently and effectively, they may be subject to discipline up to and including termination.
The late Charlie Kirk, podcaster and founder of Turning Point USA, speaks at the opening of the Turning Point Action conference on July 15, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
I got a surprise phone call last week from the other side of the world, where an American expatriate was worried about the future of his country in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination. We agreed that the dis-United States of America needs calming voices who can command attention — a tall order in a media landscape that is dominated by sources that are provocative, inflammatory and often false. All of us need to help change that.
American public discourse is now driven by opinion, not by facts, largely because of social-media platforms that favor opinion and use secret algorithms that promote the most provocative views to compete in the new “attention economy.” The decline of the traditional news business reflects the reality that the market for fact has shrunk while the market for opinion has grown. Americans prefer to be entertained, and have their views confirmed, than be informed — especially by facts that might conflict with those views.
So, what can we agree on? I would like to think that virtually all Americans agree that political violence is never justified, and that the vast majority of us would probably say likewise about speech that advocates political violence. There are laws against such things.
What, then, about speech that celebrates political violence, even a crime that results in death? That sort of speech, however repugnant, has been protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. But now people are getting fired for callous things they said about Charlie Kirk’s death, and President Trump and his top lieutenants are using the assassination to more deeply demonize and outright threaten their political opponents.
“Mourn him respectfully or suffer the consequences,” as the Reuters news service described the approach. Ironically, Kirk, who had plentyofcontroversialviews, was lauded most as a champion of free speech; now his friends and allies are using his death to suppress speech — and maybe more.
“There is no civility in the celebration of political assassination,” Vice President JD Vance said Monday, alleging “leftist” funding of “terrorist sympathizers” and urging his audience to call employers of those who’ve made comments they find objectionable.
Trump said without evidence, “We have some pretty radical groups and they got away with murder.” Lexington businessman Nate Morris, who began his Senate campaign with a Kirk-hosted rally and wants Trump’s endorsement, was on the same page, telling Breitbart News that the “radical left has blood on their hands.”
Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, said the government will use its power to take liberal groups’ money and power “and, if you’ve broken the law, to take away your freedom.” Miller recently said that the Democratic Party is not a political party but “a domestic extremist organization . . . exclusively dedicated to protecting terrorists, criminals, gang-bangers and murderers.”
Utah Gov. Gov. Spencer Cox, Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
That’s ridiculous, but it sets the stage for the government to go after the opposing party, and that’s the sort of thing my expatriate friend and I worry about. Trump clearly revels in the exercise of power, and has indicated no interest in using the power of his office to cool the conversation, as Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tried to do. But some Republicans wish Trump would.
On KET’s “Kentucky Tonight” Monday night, Kentucky Republican strategist Amy Wickliffe said political leaders, from the White House on down, need to call for “taking the rhetoric down.” She acknowledged that’s “really hard” to do with “people in your sphere,” but “Where we go from here, it’s on us. It’s on all of us.”
The maxim, “All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men and women to do nothing,” is not as operative as it was in the old media environment, when extreme voices had little access to mass audiences. Now, the extremes are amplified in huge echo chambers, and many Americans in the middle have dropped out of the toxic talk. The fact that flags went to half-staff for the death of a political activist who was unknown to many if not most Americans shows how our political tribes live in different realities.
Perhaps the best place for good women and men to do something about the current crisis is not on social media, but face to face, one on one and in small groups — where there is at least a modicum of trust and respect.
Cox, the Utah governor, said we should “log off, turn off, touch grass, hug a family member, go out and do good in your community.” At a local philanthropic event in my hometown of Albany last weekend, I told a friend that everyone has a civic responsibility to improve the community where they live. Now, technology has made us part of a national community that needs improving, and we all have a role to play.
This column is republished from the Northern Kentucky Tribune, a nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism.
WASHINGTON — A vast majority of Americans say they are more concerned about political violence right now compared to six months ago, especially after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at an event in Utah last week.
About 63% of Americans said they were more concerned about political violence now than they were at the beginning of this year, according to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult for the Deseret News and Hinckley Institute of Politics. Of those, 40% said they were “much more” concerned, compared to 23% who said they were only “somewhat concerned.”
That’s far higher than the 5% of respondents who said they did not have higher concerns about the state of political violence in the United States, the poll shows. Another 25% said they felt about the same as they did before.
The heightened concerns were felt across the political spectrum, with each ideological group more likely to say they were more concerned now than six months ago.
DN-Violence1
About 67% of those who identified as liberal said they were more concerned about political violence compared to 72% of self-identified conservatives who said the same, according to the poll. Fifty-nine percent of moderates also said they had higher concerns.
That baseline of concern was evident in other areas of the survey, as a majority of respondents also said they were more concerned about the security of political events after the shooting of Kirk at Utah Valley University on the first stop of his national college tour.
About 78% of Americans say they are concerned about the security at political events, split between 47% who say they are very concerned and 31% who say they are somewhat concerned. Only 14% said they were not concerned, according to the poll.
Part of those concerns also extend to the safety of elected officials, with 77% of Americans saying they are worried about their safety while attending these events compared to just 16% who said the opposite.
Utahns concerned about rise in political violence
Utahns were on par with national findings, according to the poll, with a majority of those in the state saying they were more concerned now about political violence than they were half a year ago.
Some 73% said they were more concerned compared to just 4% who said they were less concerned, the poll showed. About 21% said they felt the same.
When it comes to security at events, 83% of Utahns say they were concerned about the level of security when attending while only 11% said they had no worries. In terms of the safety of elected officials, 80% of Utahns said they were worried for lawmakers compared to 15% who said the opposite.
Majority of Americans have rising concerns about civil unrest and political violence
A vast majority of Americans are growing more concerned about political violence in the U.S., and those sentiments are true across age, gender and political ideology, according to the poll.
More than 80% of Americans are concerned about civil unrest in the country, compared to just 11% who said the opposite, the poll showed. More Americans are concerned about political violence, with 86% who said they were worried about it compared to 8% who said they were not.
When it comes to political polarization, 77% said it was a concern and 10% said it was not.
Americans can’t decide who is responsible for rise in political violence
When asked who or what is responsible for the rise in political violence, respondents couldn’t seem to agree on a single subject.
Americans are split on whether politicians are the ones to blame, with 42% saying they bear the most responsibility, according to the poll. When it comes to which party is to blame, those who voted for President Donald Trump were more likely to blame the left while those who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris were more likely to blame the right.
DN-Violence2
Other Americans also pointed to social media (22%), media outlets (25%) and activist groups (22%) as the factor behind political violence, according to the poll.
The Morning Consult poll surveyed 2,239 adults across the country between Sept. 12-14. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.”He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.”The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.”Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killingHidden note in suspect’s apartmentInvestigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.Investigators looking at whether Robinson had helpLaw enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.Parents said their son became more politicalRobinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.Robinson detailed movements after the shootingIn a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.”To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.
OREM, Utah —
Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.
Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.
“He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”
On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.
Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.
Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.
Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.
“The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”
Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.
“Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.
Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killing
Hidden note in suspect’s apartment
Investigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.
There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.
After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.
Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.
Investigators looking at whether Robinson had help
Law enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.
The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.
Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.
Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.
Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?
Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.
While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.
Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.
Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.
Parents said their son became more political
Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.
She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.
The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.
Robinson detailed movements after the shooting
In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”
The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.
“To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.
Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek investigative reporter based in Michigan. His focus includes U.S. and international politics and policies, immigration, crime and social issues. Other reporting has covered education, economics, and wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Nick joined Newsweek in 2021 from The Oakland Press, and his reporting has been featured in The Detroit News and other publications. His reporting on the opioid epidemic garnered a statewide Michigan Press Association award. The Michigan State University graduate can be reached at n.mordowanec@newsweek.com.
Jason Lemon is a Senior Politics Editor at Newsweek based in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to taking on the editor role, Jason’s reporting focused on U.S. politics and international affairs. He joined Newsweek in 2018, and had previously worked as an editor at a Middle Eastern media startup called StepFeed. He also worked a year as a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and has bylines in The Christian Science Monitor, The Palm Beach Post, Al Fanar Media and A Magazine. He is a graduate of the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and Andrews University in Michigan. You can get in touch with Jason by emailing j.lemon@newsweek.com. Languages: English, Spanish, French and Levantine Arabic
🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Former President Barack Obama raised concerns about political violence in the United States during an interview at the Jefferson Educational Society in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk less than a week ago.
“We are certainly at an inflection point, not just around political violence, but there are a host of larger trends that we have to be concerned about. I think it is important for us, at the outset, to acknowledge that political violence is not new. It has happened at certain periods in our history, but it is something that it is anathema to what it means to be a democratic country,” he said.
“And regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, what happened to Charlie Kirk was horrific and a tragedy. What happened, as you mentioned, to the state legislators in Minnesota, that is horrific. It is a tragedy,” Obama said.
This is a developing story will be updated with additional information.
Former President Barack Obama addresses the Obama Foundation’s 2024 Democracy Forum on December 5, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Former President Barack Obama addresses the Obama Foundation’s 2024 Democracy Forum on December 5, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson/Getty Images
(CNN) — PROVO, UTAH — Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, appeared virtually for his first court hearing since he was formally charged with aggravated murder on September 16.
Judge Tony F. Graf said Tuesday that Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk, will remain in custody, without bail.
“Mr. Robinson at this time, you will remain in custody, without bail,” Graf said.
Graf said he reviewed Robinson’s financial situation and found that he is “indigent,” meaning he cannot afford legal fees.
Graf said he was “provisionally” appointing an attorney for Robinson, and that person need to file paperwork about their qualifications to the court before the next hearing.
Robinson faces seven criminal counts, including aggravated murder.
The next hearing date for the suspected shooter is set for September 29, 10 a.m. local time (noon ET).
Earlier Tuesday, Robinson was formally charged with aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of witness tampering, and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child. Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announced the charges at a press conference Tuesday.
Utah County Attorney General Jeff Gray speaks at a press conference regarding Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk on September 16, 2025 at the Utah County Health & Justice Building in Provo, Utah. Credit: Chet Strange / Getty Images via CNN Newsource
Gray said he intends to seek the death penalty.
Gray noted it was the mother of the suspected shooter who identified her son through photos released by authorities.
Court documents allege that Robinson’s mother, “explained that over the last year or so, Robinson had become more political and had started to lean more to the left – becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented.”
“She stated that Robinson began to date his roommate, a biological male who was transitioning genders,” court documents filed Tuesday say.
“This resulted in several discussions with family members, but especially between Robinson and his father, who have very different political views.”
After Tyler Robinson’s parents became concerned that surveillance images of a suspect that authorities released looked like their son, and that a rifle that police believed was used in Charlie Kirk’s killing “matched a rifle that was given to his son as a gift,” his father called him, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said.
The father contacted his son and asked him to send a picture of the rifle, but Robinson didn’t respond, Gray said. The father subsequently spoke on the phone with his son, who “implied that he planned to take his own life,” Gray said.
Robinson’s parents were then “able to convince him to meet at their home,” Gray said.
While talking to his parents at their home, Robinson implied that he shot Kirk, “and stated that he couldn’t go to jail, and just wanted to end it,” Gray said. When Robinson was then asked why he did it, “Robinson explained there is too much evil, and the guy (referring to Charlie Kirk) spreads too much hate,” Gray said, reading from a probable cause statement filed in court.
Booking photo of Kirk shooting suspect, Tyler Robinson has been released by the Utah Governor’s office. Credit: Utah Governor’s Office via CNN Newsource
The day of the shooting, Robinson texted his roommate to locate a note he had left which said he had the “opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk,” Gray said.
“On September 10, 2025, the roommate received a text message from Robinson, which said, ‘Drop what you’re doing, look under my keyboard.’ The roommate looked under the key board and found a note that stated, ‘I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.’ Police found a photograph of this note,” Gray said.
According to Gray, after reading the text from Robinson, the roommate had responded, “What? You’re joking, right?”
Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.”DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.”The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and appointed an attorney to represent him. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray.The prosecutor declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.”That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say was transgender, which hasn’t been confirmed. Gray said the partner has been cooperating with investigators.Robinson’s partner appeared shocked in the text exchange after the shooting, according to court documents, asking Robinson “why he did it and how long he’d been planning it.”Parents said their son became more politicalWhile authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights after dating someone who is transgender, Gray said.Those decisions prompted several conversations in the household, especially between Robinson and his father. They had different political views and Robinson told his partner in a text that his dad had become a “diehard MAGA” since Trump was elected.Robinson’s mother recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy, who persuaded Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up, about 240 miles southwest of where the shooting happened.Robinson detailed movements after the shootingIn a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”Then he wrote: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.” After that, he sent: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”He also was worried about losing his grandfather’s rifle and mentioned several times in the texts that he wished he had picked it up, according to the texts shared in court documents, which did not have timestamps. It was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.”To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.Prosecutor says Robinson told partner to delete textsRobinson discarded the rifle and clothing and asked his roommate to conceal evidence, Gray said.Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.He also was charged with witness tampering because he had directed his partner to delete their text messages and told his partner to stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.Kash Patel says investigators will look at everyoneFBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents are looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.”We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.The charges filed Tuesday carry two enhancements, including committing several of the crimes in front of or close to children and carrying out violence based on the subject’s political beliefs.Gray declined to say whether Robinson’s partner could face charges or whether anyone else might face charges.Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics.In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.
PROVO, Utah —
Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.”
DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.
The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.
“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.
Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.
Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and appointed an attorney to represent him. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.
FBI
Tyler Robinson, suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination
Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?
Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray.
The prosecutor declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.
“That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.
Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say was transgender, which hasn’t been confirmed. Gray said the partner has been cooperating with investigators.
Robinson’s partner appeared shocked in the text exchange after the shooting, according to court documents, asking Robinson “why he did it and how long he’d been planning it.”
Parents said their son became more political
While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.
Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights after dating someone who is transgender, Gray said.
Those decisions prompted several conversations in the household, especially between Robinson and his father. They had different political views and Robinson told his partner in a text that his dad had become a “diehard MAGA” since Trump was elected.
Robinson’s mother recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.
The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy, who persuaded Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.
Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up, about 240 miles southwest of where the shooting happened.
Robinson detailed movements after the shooting
In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”
Then he wrote: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.” After that, he sent: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”
He also was worried about losing his grandfather’s rifle and mentioned several times in the texts that he wished he had picked it up, according to the texts shared in court documents, which did not have timestamps. It was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.
“To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.
Prosecutor says Robinson told partner to delete texts
Robinson discarded the rifle and clothing and asked his roommate to conceal evidence, Gray said.
Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
He also was charged with witness tampering because he had directed his partner to delete their text messages and told his partner to stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.
Kash Patel says investigators will look at everyone
FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents are looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.
“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.
The charges filed Tuesday carry two enhancements, including committing several of the crimes in front of or close to children and carrying out violence based on the subject’s political beliefs.
Gray declined to say whether Robinson’s partner could face charges or whether anyone else might face charges.
Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics.
In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.
Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.
Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.”DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.”The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and appointed an attorney to represent him. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray.The prosecutor declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.”That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say was transgender, which hasn’t been confirmed. Gray said the partner has been cooperating with investigators.Robinson’s partner appeared shocked in the text exchange after the shooting, according to court documents, asking Robinson “why he did it and how long he’d been planning it.”Parents said their son became more politicalWhile authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights after dating someone who is transgender, Gray said.Those decisions prompted several conversations in the household, especially between Robinson and his father. They had different political views and Robinson told his partner in a text that his dad had become a “diehard MAGA” since Trump was elected.Robinson’s mother recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy, who persuaded Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up, about 240 miles southwest of where the shooting happened.Robinson detailed movements after the shootingIn a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”Then he wrote: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.” After that, he sent: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”He also was worried about losing his grandfather’s rifle and mentioned several times in the texts that he wished he had picked it up, according to the texts shared in court documents, which did not have timestamps. It was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.”To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.Prosecutor says Robinson told partner to delete textsRobinson discarded the rifle and clothing and asked his roommate to conceal evidence, Gray said.Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.He also was charged with witness tampering because he had directed his partner to delete their text messages and told his partner to stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.Kash Patel says investigators will look at everyoneFBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents are looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.”We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.The charges filed Tuesday carry two enhancements, including committing several of the crimes in front of or close to children and carrying out violence based on the subject’s political beliefs.Gray declined to say whether Robinson’s partner could face charges or whether anyone else might face charges.Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics.In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.
PROVO, Utah —
Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.”
DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.
The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.
“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.
Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.
Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and appointed an attorney to represent him. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.
FBI
Tyler Robinson, suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination
Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?
Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray.
The prosecutor declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.
“That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.
Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say was transgender, which hasn’t been confirmed. Gray said the partner has been cooperating with investigators.
Robinson’s partner appeared shocked in the text exchange after the shooting, according to court documents, asking Robinson “why he did it and how long he’d been planning it.”
Parents said their son became more political
While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.
Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights after dating someone who is transgender, Gray said.
Those decisions prompted several conversations in the household, especially between Robinson and his father. They had different political views and Robinson told his partner in a text that his dad had become a “diehard MAGA” since Trump was elected.
Robinson’s mother recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.
The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy, who persuaded Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.
Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up, about 240 miles southwest of where the shooting happened.
Robinson detailed movements after the shooting
In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”
Then he wrote: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.” After that, he sent: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”
He also was worried about losing his grandfather’s rifle and mentioned several times in the texts that he wished he had picked it up, according to the texts shared in court documents, which did not have timestamps. It was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.
“To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.
Prosecutor says Robinson told partner to delete texts
Robinson discarded the rifle and clothing and asked his roommate to conceal evidence, Gray said.
Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
He also was charged with witness tampering because he had directed his partner to delete their text messages and told his partner to stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.
Kash Patel says investigators will look at everyone
FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents are looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.
“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.
The charges filed Tuesday carry two enhancements, including committing several of the crimes in front of or close to children and carrying out violence based on the subject’s political beliefs.
Gray declined to say whether Robinson’s partner could face charges or whether anyone else might face charges.
Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics.
In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.
Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.
Three months ago, a suspected gunman shot and killed Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home in Minnesota. This came immediately after the same suspected shooter tried to kill state Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in the immediate aftermath of the attack that it appeared to be a “politically motivated assassination.”
Republicans at the national level did not exactly respond to the tragedy in a responsible way. Despite that everything we now know about the alleged gunman suggests he was an anti-abortion Trump voter and not a far-left radical, several congressional Republicans labeled the suspect a “Marxist” whose alleged crimes constituted an example of “extreme left” violence.
This was ridiculous. It was also, in retrospect, the opposite of how Democratic officials responded to the shooting that claimed Charlie Kirk’s life. It happened anyway — though the Republican response to the Minnesota shooting wasn’t perceived as a national scandal and no one was fired for having said dumb things about the shootings.
In the aftermath of the political violence, Donald Trump said very little about what happened. Indeed, as my MSNBC colleague Zeeshan Aleem explained, “He did not offer a substantial eulogy for her, or deliver an address on political violence, as he did after Kirk’s death. Unlike former President Joe Biden, Trump did not attend the funeral.”
Three months later, a Fox News host characterized Hortman’s death as a “bulls—” example of political violence. Also on Monday, Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested that the suspect in Minnesota came from the left, not the right, despite all of the available evidence.
And then, of course, there was the president himself.
“In retrospect, given all of the moving ways that this White House has paid tribute to Charlie Kirk,” a reporter asked Trump, “do you think it would’ve been fitting to lower the flags to half-staff when Melissa Hortman, the Minnesota House speaker, was gunned down by an assassin as well?”
The president replied, “I’m not familiar. The who?”
Reminded of an incident he ought to have been familiar with, Trump said of lowering the flags, “Well, if the governor had asked me to do that, I would’ve done that. But the governor of Minnesota didn’t ask me.”
For all of Trump’s comments in recent days about political violence, that he appeared to have no idea who Hortman was suggests the president hasn’t exactly done a full accounting of the broader national scourge.
For that matter, leaders don’t generally wait to be asked to do the right and honorable thing.
But let’s also not brush past the relevant details: In the aftermath of the political violence in Minnesota, Trump thought it’d be a good idea to lash out publicly at Walz — who might’ve requested lowering flags, but whom the president refused to contact.
“Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ The guy doesn’t have a clue,” Trump said of Walz at the time. “He’s a mess. So I could be nice and call, but why waste time?”
The Republican added, “I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out, I’m not calling him.”
It’s worth appreciating the differences between the president’s reaction to Kirk’s death and how he responded to Hortman and her husband being killed.
As Aleem concluded, “In a democracy, all political violence should be considered entirely unacceptable, no matter the ideology of the person committing the act or on the receiving end of it. Both the deaths of Hortman and Kirk were terrible tragedies and completely unjustifiable. But in his selective mourning and politicization of their deaths, Trump suggested one tragedy — more importantly, one type of tragedy — mattered more.”
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
