BREAKING: Teen Pleads Guilty to Murdering Mother and Step-Father For Money To Assassinate President Trump

Summary

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Podcast Summary:

Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Episode: BREAKING: Teen Pleads Guilty to Murdering Mother and Step-Father For Money To Assassinate President Trump
Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Amy Robach & TJ Holmes
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In this urgent, emotionally charged episode, Amy Robach and TJ Holmes dive into the shocking story of 18-year-old Nikita Kassip, who pleaded guilty to murdering his mother and stepfather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The murders, committed when Kassip was just 17, were allegedly executed to fund a plot aimed at assassinating former President Donald Trump. The hosts walk listeners through the latest court proceedings, explore disturbing details from the case, and discuss the potential sentencing and broader implications—including the possibility of further federal charges due to the case’s national significance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Crime and Its Unfolding (03:02–08:22)

• Teenager’s Guilty Plea:

  • A teenage boy, Nikita Kassip, stood in court and calmly repeated “Yes, Your Honor” as he admitted to killing both his mother, Tatiana Kassip (35), and his stepfather, Donald Trump Mayor (51).
  • The case took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Kassip was 17 at the time of the murders.

• Crime Details:

  • Kassip lived with the bodies of his parents for two weeks after the killings.
  • He stole their vehicle and about $14,000 in cash and valuables, taking the family dog with him.
  • Authorities traced him using a traffic stop, eventually apprehending him.

• Chilling Courtroom Exchange:

  • Kassip’s responses in court were strikingly polite and measured, despite admitting to extremely violent acts.
  • The judge methodically asked about each specific act (who he killed, how, intent), to which Kassip answered with unflinching acknowledgment.

  Quote:
  “To hear him say, ‘Yes, your Honor,’ to the question, ‘Did you kill your mother, Tatiana? Did you intend for her to die?’—just, yes, this polite ‘yes, your Honor’ afterwards, it felt so chilling to listen to.”
  —TJ Holmes (07:32)

Motive: From Money to a Presidential Assassination Plot (04:22–06:27)

• International Links and Planned Escape:

  • Investigators found Kassip in online contact with an unknown Russian-speaking individual.
  • He reportedly bought a drone, explosives, and authored a manifesto that outlined his plan to assassinate Trump and overthrow the US government.

• Text Evidence:

  • Federal agents found text exchanges indicating Kassip believed he could go to Ukraine and live “a normal life” even if his crimes became publicly known.

  Quote:
  “He was actually asking this question to this unknown person who speaks Russian. He said, ‘So while in Ukraine, I’ll be able to live a normal life, even if it’s found out I did it?’”
  —TJ Holmes (09:45)

The Legal Turn: Guilty Plea, Dropped Charges, and Sentencing (06:27–10:02, 15:18–18:18)

• Pleas and Charges:

  • Kassip pleaded guilty to two counts of murder. Other charges (theft, improper use of a corpse) were dropped as part of a deal.
  • His demeanor in court was noted as almost oddly respectful and soft-spoken, contrasting the brutality of the crimes.

• Sentencing Parameters:

  • The trial was scheduled for March; sentencing will take place on March 5.
  • Because he was 17 at the time and accepted a plea, sentencing guidelines may be more lenient. He could receive 20 years for each count (potential total: 40 years), making parole in his late 50s plausible.
  • Guilty pleas and youth are often favorable toward a lighter sentence.
  • The need to avoid traumatizing the family through a public trial played a role in the plea negotiation.

  Quotes:
  “Normally he would be constrained by the sentencing guidelines, but now he could possibly consider 20 years. And did I hear it correctly, 20 years on each count, right?...He could still get life. We don’t know. But the judge made a point about talking about that 20 years. He’s so young…”
  —Amy Robach (17:22, 17:57)

  “So he’s got two things working in his favor: his age and the fact that he was compliant. The fact that he agreed to plea and save the district a lot of money.”
  —TJ Holmes (16:08)

Federal Oversight and National Implications (18:52–19:52)

• Potential for Additional Federal Charges:

  • Federal prosecutors may intervene and file further charges if the state sentence is insufficient given the gravity of Kassip’s assassination plot and anti-government motivations.
  • The case has broad national interest because of the intended target and Kassip’s extremist sentiments.

  Quote:
  “The federal government can then step in and charge him...because of the federal or the national implications of him, that plot they uncovered where they say Kassip was plotting, planning to assassinate Donald Trump. So...if we don’t like what this judge sentences him to, we may step in and throw more charges at him.”
  —TJ Holmes (18:52)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “That was really chilling, wasn’t it?... Even hearing the judge ask this young man...if he had ever been diagnosed with a mental illness, he said, ‘No, you Honor.’ But my God, how could he not, given what he is admitting to have done?”
  —TJ Holmes (03:34)

• “He was almost like… a respectful teenager sitting in there today who’s admitting to the most heinous of things.”
  —Amy Robach (06:27)

• “Yes, Your Honor will never sound the same after hearing him say that response to so many of those incredibly just devastating questions...”
  —TJ Holmes (09:03)

• “The feds say, hey, if we don’t like what this judge sentences him to, we may step in and throw more charges at him. So that’s entirely possible as well.”
  —TJ Holmes (19:52)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [03:02] — Breaking news introduction & summary of the guilty plea
• [04:22] — Recap of the fatal events, discovery, and disappearance of the suspect
• [05:28] — Discussion of online communication with Russian speaker and the assassination plot details
• [06:27] — Shift to the legal process, charges, and the unnerving courtroom demeanor
• [07:32] — Emotional reaction to the repeated courtroom confessions
• [09:45] — Reading the incriminating text message about plans in Ukraine
• [15:18] — Spotlight on sentencing process, possible outcomes, and the impact of Kassip’s youth
• [18:52] — Federal government’s involvement and the potential for added charges
• [19:52] — Closing reflections and anticipation for the upcoming sentencing

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Closing Thoughts

The episode effectively balances reporting the deeply disturbing facts with sensitive commentary on the complexities and emotional weight of the case. It highlights chilling details—the clinical politeness of Kassip’s admissions, the global ambitions of his plot, and the legal dilemmas facing the justice system given his age. Amy and TJ continuously return to the bigger questions: How could such violence come from a seemingly ordinary teenager? What role do family trauma and youth play in sentencing? And, ultimately, will Kassip ever be released, or will the federal government ensure he spends his life behind bars?

Listeners are left with a comprehensive, nuanced view into one of the most bewildering crimes in recent headlines—a case that’s as much about the dark corners of the human mind as it is about legal process and national security.

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Transcript

[Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford]

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[TJ Holmes]

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[Amy Robach]

I didn't really have an interest in being on air. I kind of was up there to just try and infiltrate the building.

[Kal Penn]

From the underground clubs that shaped global music to the pastors and creatives who built a cultural empire, the Atlanta Is podcast uncovers the stories behind one of the most influential cities in the world. The thing I love about Atlanta is that it's a city of hustlers, but man. Each episode explores a different chapter of Atlanta's rise, featuring conversations with Ludacris, Will Packer, Pastor Jamal Bryant, DJ Drama and more. The full series is available to listen to now. Listen to Atlanta is on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amy Robach]

Whenever I got through the window, I tried to pick him up and his body was stiff. I'm Ben Westoff and this is the Peacemaker, a true crime podcast about a string of mysterious suicides at a Missouri university and the fraternity brother tied to them all, Brandon Grosse. The lawsuit says Grosseim was one of the last people to see each victim before their deaths. Was he profoundly unlucky or was something much darker at play? Listen to the Peacemaker podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[TJ Holmes]

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[Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford]

That's cybersecurity expert Camille Stewart Gloster on the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. Every season is a chance to grow and the Therapy for Black Girls podcast is here to walk with you. I'm Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford and each week we dive into real conversations that help you move with more clarity and confidence. This episode, we're breaking down what really happens to your information online and how to protect yourself with intention. Listen to therapy for black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amy Robach]

Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, January 8, and a short time ago, a teenager pled guilty to killing his parents in a plot that involved him trying to fund a Trump assassination. Welcome to this episode of Amy and tj. This is a obviously tragic, sad and bizarre case with a lot of the details, but we just watched an 18 year old repeatedly tell a judge, yes, I am responsible for these killings.

[TJ Holmes]

That was really chilling, wasn't it? Nikita Kassip is his name. This is out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was a kid who seemed like just about any other kid and winds up not just murdering his stepfather and his own mother, but then lives with their corpses for weeks talking to someone in Russian. This story is very, very confusing and deeply disturbing. Even hearing the judge ask this young man, who by the way, was 17 at the time of these crimes, if he had ever been diagnosed with a mental illness, he said, no, you, Honor. But my God, how could he not, given what he is admitting to have done?

[Amy Robach]

All right, let's take you back folks to February of last year. So this was February of 2025. Police respond to a home. They find these two dead bodies, both shot. We're talking about Tatiana Kassa, 35 years old, and her husband, Donald Trump, mayor, 51 years old. The son and the dog are missing at this point. And apparently he had taken his parents vehicle, taken off with about $14,000 worth of cash and jewelry and whatnot. And he had the dog with him. They eventually tracked him down having to do with the traffic stop. Now, those details you talk about, robes that came out, living with the bodies for two weeks, that was certainly a detail that was disturbing. The other parts of this have to do with federal authorities going through a lot of his text messages and electronic messages. I don't know if they ever found out who he was talking to in Russia, in Ukraine, but it seemed as if he had a plan and expected to go to Ukraine and also expected for everybody to find out that he had killed his parents.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah, and I'm just, I'm still trying to get into the mindset of a 17 year old kid. I mean, there, look, Anneliese is 19, about to turn 20, and she's a kid. And to think that he was still in high school. What did he know what fantasy world was he living in? But, yes, federal authorities say that he was having a text exchange with someone who spoke Russian. They've never said who that person is, if that person was legitimate, but that in planning his parents murders, he also bought a drone, he bought explosives, and he wrote a manifest. And in that manifest, federal authorities say he called for Trump's assassination. And so he was talking to this Russian speaker about his plan to kill Trump, and they even said to overthrow the US Government. Did he think he was working as a spy for the Russian government?

[Amy Robach]

I mean, who knows what was going on through this in this kid's mind? But this is the crime. That's everything we describe, at least about the crime. Now, we're expecting this trial is supposed to start in March, but we come to today, a deal has been struck between this young man and prosecutors that's going to see him avoid trial. They dropped. There were several other charges, charges three through nine, I think they said had to do with theft and the improper use of a corpse. Those. They dropped those. But he did plead guilty. It was. It was chilling. Rome. He was 17 when he committed the crime. 18. Now, a soft voice, nothing intimidating about the appearance of this young man sitting in a chair. I think he might have said the word no once. But other than that, the only thing he said in court was, yes, you, Honor. Repeatedly. He asked him a bunch of questions, and he was polite. He spoke up. He was almost like. Almost a respectful teenager sitting in there today who's admitting to the most heinous of things.

[TJ Holmes]

Wasn't that so disturbing? You make such a good point. It did seem like, in fact, I was around the corner and I heard his voice, and it just wasn't what I would have expected from someone who was capable of doing what he's now admitted to do, which is to kill your own mother and your stepfather because you need cash to go try and assassinate Trump. But here he was, this polite kid, you're right. And to hear him say, yes, you, Honor, to the question, did you kill your mother, Tatiana? Did you intend for her to die? Yes, you, Honor. That. Just the questions that were being asked, and then just, yes, this polite yes, you, Honor, afterwards, it felt so chilling to listen to.

[Amy Robach]

You're talking about the repetition, and the judge was kind of rapid firing, asking about each murder. But you shot him and caused his death. Yes, you, Honor. Did you do that intentionally? Yes, you, Honor. Did you use a handgun to shoot her, your mother? Yes, you, Honor. Did you intend to kill her? Yes, you, Honor. You admit you committed both of these offenses? Yes, you, Honor. And I'm only giving five or so there. I think it was 10 at least. He was. And repeatedly, an 18 year old is saying, yes, I did all of it. I meant to do it, and I meant to kill. And the judge got all that on the record for legal reasons, but just to see it happen today was stunning.

[Danny Shapiro]

Yeah.

[TJ Holmes]

Yes. Your Honor will never sound the same after hearing him say that response to so many of those incredibly just devastating questions that you can't imagine a kid that age would. Would be able to answer. And then to think that, yes, and who knows what was actually going on behind the scenes, but he thought he was gonna be living in Ukraine. He had a plan. He actually got caught in Kansas, I believe, in that traffic stop you were referring to. But from what we gather and what federal authorities have said, he was planning on hiding out in the country of Ukraine.

[Amy Robach]

Do you have that? What was that text? Did you reach out when you have.

[Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford]

It on the text?

[TJ Holmes]

I have it, yes. He was actually asking this question to this unknown person who speaks Russian. He said, so while in Ukraine, I'll be able to live a normal life. Question mark. Even if it's found out I did it.

[Amy Robach]

Look, that was pretty good evidence, but he admitted it in court today, and it's just 17 years old. But this case took this turn. They were preparing for trial in March, but now, because of the plea, it's brought up some other issues, particularly about sentencing. Stay here. We'll explain why Some thinks he has a chance of getting out and still might have a life ahead. Stay here.

[DJ Hester Prynne]

When you feel uncomfortable, what do you put on Biggie? You put on Biggie when you feel uncomfortable.

[Amy Robach]

Cause I want to get confident.

[DJ Hester Prynne]

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[Amy Robach]

I actually drop better when I'm high. It heightens my senses, calms me down. If anything, I'm more careful. Honestly, it just helps me focus.

[NHTSA/AD Council PSA Voice]

That's probably what the driver who killed a four year old told himself and now he's in prison. You see, no matter what you tell yourself, if you feel different, you drive different. So if you're high, just don't drive. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council.

[Amy Robach]

Hey everyone, it's Ed Helms.

[Kal Penn]

And I'm Kal Penn and we are.

[Amy Robach]

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[Danny Shapiro]

Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro, host of the hit podcast Family Secrets.

[Amy Robach]

We were in the car like a rolling stone came on and he said, there's a line in there about your mother. And I said, what? What I would do if I didn't feel like I was being accepted is choose an identity that other people can't have.

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[Kal Penn]

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[Amy Robach]

And I literally have my contract here and I'm looking at, you know, as.

[Kal Penn]

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[Amy Robach]

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[Kal Penn]

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[Amy Robach]

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[Kal Penn]

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[Amy Robach]

We continue now on this Thursday having just seen 18 year old Nikita Kassip in court in Wisconsin admitting repeatedly upon questioning from the judge that he is entering a plea of guilty in the death of his 35 year old mother and his 51 year old stepfather. Those deaths happened last February. But Robes going to trial, right? If he had gone to trial on these charges, you found guilty, it's life without parole. He wasn't sentenced today, but it sounds like there is going to be an argument now over how long this 18 year old is supposed to spend in jail. In Robes, looking at some of the numbers he could have like a significant adult life ahead on the outside.

[Danny Shapiro]

Correct.

[TJ Holmes]

Because also being taken into consideration when you look at sentencing, a judge can look at the age at which a crime is committed. And that has often given some of these younger defendants opportunities later, even if they've committed a heinous crime. And when you plead guilty, that also usually is favorable in terms of sentencing as well. So he's got two things working in his favor. His age and the fact that he was compliant. The fact that he agreed to plea and save the district a lot of money. And as the DA pointed out, because some people were upset about this plea deal, the fact that they were able to get rid of some of the other charges which would have possibly kept him in prison for sure for the rest of his life. She said that Part of this was about the family itself avoiding the trauma of a public trial. We're seeing this in the Nick Reiner case as well. When you have the defendants and the victims from the same family, that is so much more complex than an ordinary case, which is already difficult and emotional. But now you add that extra trauma to the story and avoiding a public trial is even the bar is even higher to try and make that happen.

[Amy Robach]

So, and I can appreciate when prosecutors consider the wishes of families in these cases, this young man now, as the judge explained, normally he would be constrained by the sendings and guidelines, but now he could possibly consider 20 years. And did I hear it correctly, 20 years on each count, right.

[TJ Holmes]

Yes.

[Amy Robach]

So we're talking 40 years he could possibly end up with. And again, we don't know this, but this is something at least on the table and the judge said it. So you take that under consideration. He could be late 50s.

[Danny Shapiro]

Yeah.

[Amy Robach]

When he gets out, if that's the case, he could still get life. We don't know. But the judge made a point about talking about that 20 years. He's so young. I think that drives home the point that he could actually serve a sentence for double murder and still get out and be an adult who has decades yet to live.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah. As someone in their 50s, you look at like when you're 18, that seems like forever. But when you all of a sudden suddenly turn 50, you think, Wow, I still have good chunk of my life left to live. So yes, he could get out and actually have a full life.

[Amy Robach]

I thought that was interesting. But just what's been an awful case. And again, this wasn't what it was supposed to be. So the sentencing is now. We still have to wait for it. But I thought this was the defense said, you know what, we were going to go to trial in March. Can we do sentencing in March as well?

[TJ Holmes]

And I think, look, all eyes are going to be on sentencing that's set for March 5th, I believe. But there has been talk if the federal government does not like what the judge sentences him to, for instance, that 20 year and 20 years. So say he does the minimum and Kassep only gets 40 years. The federal government can then step in and charge him. They've said they're considering that or they're keeping that option open because of the federal or the national implications of him that plot the uncovered where they say Kassip was plotting, planning to assassinate Donald Trump. So he said they found anti government sentiments. They found some information leading to his worshiping of a Satanic cult. So the feds say, hey, if we don't like what this judge sentences him to, we may step in and throw more charges at him. So that's entirely possible as well.

[Amy Robach]

They want to make sure he never gets out of prison, correct?

[TJ Holmes]

Correct.

[Amy Robach]

We're keeping an eye on it. Folks, we always appreciate you spending some time here with us, but this update. Yes, it only happened within an hour or so of us hopping on the mics here, so we wanted to hop on and give an update on a story that has had national interest. We always appreciate you spending some time with us. I'm TJ Holmes. On behalf of my dear Amy Robach, we'll talk to you.

[Danny Shapiro]

Also.

[Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford]

This is an I Heart podcast.

[TJ Holmes]

Guaranteed human.