← Here's the Scoop
Here's the Scoop
The new cancel culture and the rise of political extremism online; “Gaza is burning”: Israeli offensive into Gaza City
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What started the Civil War? What ended the conflict in Vietnam? Who was Paul Revere? And did the Vikings ever reach America? I'm Don Wildman. And on American History Hit My expert guests and I are journeying across the nation and through the years to uncover the stories that have made America. We'll visit the battlefields and debate floors where the nation was formed, meet the characters who have altered it with their touch and count the votes that have changed, changed the direction of our laws and leadership. Find American History Hit twice a week, every week, wherever you get your podcasts. American History hit. A podcast from History hit.
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Hey, everybody, and welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. We have a lot to cover today. Israel launching its major ground operation in Gaza City. Trump heading to the UK and we say goodbye to a Hollywood icon. Up first, though, charges in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Tyler Robinson, a 22 year old Utah resident, has been charged with felony aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and felony obstruction of justice, amongst other charges. Prosecutors in Utah say they'll be seeking the death penalty. Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel defended his handling of the case before the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was a wide ranging hearing that got pretty heated at times, including an exchange with Senator Adam Schiff, the Democrat from California.
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You are the biggest fraud to ever.
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Sit in the United States Senate. The chaos of the moment speaks the political blame game that we have been seeing play out after Kirk's death, especially online. And this is what we're going to talk about today. President Trump and members of his administration pointed the finger squarely at the left in the last week, including in a video the president posted to true social media just hours after the attack.
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For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.
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Even though online extremism is a problem on both sides of the aisle, the Trump administration is now planning a crackdown on left wing political organizations, even calling them domestic terrorists. For more on this, I want to bring in my colleague David Ingram, who covers online extremism for us. David, thanks for being here.
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My pleasure.
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I know people kind of really live in their silos, especially when we're talking about what we're seeing and watching online. And they may not have seen some of the back and forth between both the left and the right following the Charlie Kirk assassination. Walk us through what you have been tracking.
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Right. So in the immediate aftermath of the shooting last Wednesday, we saw certain elements, especially on the far right, that were calling for civil war, mass arrests, and other forms of retribution against who they perceived to be at blame for Charlie Kirk's killing. What this rhetoric was emphasizing was the possibility of a broader cultural division that may have led to, or helped to motivate the shooter in this case. Again, this was all before the identity of a suspect was known or the person was arrested. And well before, of course, we even have any sense, really, of what the person's motive is. This was all playing out at the same time as some people on the left, usually much smaller accounts, people with very small followings were celebrating Kirk's death or blaming him, at least in part for his own death because of his past rhetoric and some of the stances he had taken that they believed may have contributed to the anger toward him.
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So a part of the online chatter that we have been seeing has seen some consequences on the other end of it. And what I mean by that is people are getting fired, people are losing their jobs, people are being let go from universities, from the private sector, from the public sector because of opinions that they are having online. Which speaks to kind of the question, the debate that we have had continuously over freedom of speech and your existence, your profile online.
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Yeah. So one thing we've seen in the past week is just a complete 180 on the part of some people on the right who had decried cancel culture over the past several years. So back in 2023, for example, Elon Musk said that if people were victims of, quote, unquote, cancel culture for posting things that are controversial on X or Twitter, he would pay their legal bills. Now Elon Musk is coming forward and calling for cancellation in the same way, suggesting that people should lose their jobs or be deplatformed because of their speech. This is happening all across the conservative ecosystem. In the past week, big X accounts like Libs of TikTok or even the Proud Boys are taking upon themselves as one of the main ways that they're reacting to the Kirk killing is to look for people online who are celebrating the death and outing these people to their employers or otherwise trying to publicly shame them so that they have some measure of accountability for what they've said. This is new. We haven't seen this, at least to the same extent on the right until right now. And we're not sure really where it's gonna go if how widely these consequences could be felt.
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I Wanna talk about the back and forth between President Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, former candidate for vice president. Governor Walz essentially said if we're lowering the flag to half mass for Charlie Kirk, who is not an elected official, then we should be doing the same for the Democratic Minnesota lawmaker who was killed, Melissa Hortman, who, by the way, the special election is being held today to fill her seat. She was killed alongside her husband and the family dog, also a targeted political killing. And the president was asked about this yesterday by a CBS correspondent. Do you think it would have been fitting to lower the flags, to have.
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Staff when Melissa Hordman, the Minnesota House.
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Speaker, was gunned down by an assassin as well?
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I'm not familiar the Minnesota House speaker.
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A Democrat, was assassinated this summer. Well, if the governor had asked me to do that, I would have done that, but the governor of Minnesota didn't ask me. But as you think about this, kind of in a bigger picture, the president pointing fingers at the left, saying this is because of violent rhetoric coming from the left, but actively ignoring the same type of rhetoric that is coming from the right. Is this kind of fueling the conversation that you're seeing online?
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Right. So we have been studying this issue and researchers have been studying this issue for intensely for about the last 10 years or so, where this question of to what extent does online extremist rhetoric affect offline behavior that has become a focal point of our culture. If you go back 10 years or so to the rise of conspiracy theories like Pizzagate and QAnon, fast forward through the following few years with the pandemic and through January 6, researchers that I've spoken with and that we've interviewed at NBC really emphasize the danger here, especially when large accounts, people with massive followings like Elon Musk or President Trump give voice to these false claims. You know, last year it was the idea that Haitians in Ohio were going after pets. That was an unfounded false claim, started online, spread by Elon Musk, later came out in the presidential debates in Springfield.
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They're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating. They're eating the pets of the people that live there.
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And Haitians in Ohio said that they were fearing for their safety and receiving threats because of that. Now, you know, we have all of that happening again where large accounts are spreading these ideas online. And the next question is, to what extent will they be backed up by official law enforcement? President Trump continues to blame, in this case, the radical left for this shooting before we know what the motive is. At the same time, he and his administration have the levers of power in government and they're promising to use every tool at their disposal to dismantle what Stephen Miller called domestic terror network again, without any connection that we know of to the to the shooting last Wednesday.
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David Ingram, thank you.
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My pleasure.
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We're going to take a quick break and when we're back, we're going to go to Israel. With hostage families and Palestinians in Gaza bracing for what is next, who's ready for some football? All season, the TODAY show takes you inside the game. We're gonna get this party started. Join us every week as we go.
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Behind the scenes with your favorite NFL.
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Teams for the biggest stories on and off the field.
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Big game tonight, plus game day recipes.
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That dial up your tailgate.
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Football food soup to nuts. From stadium lights to game day bites, the Today show is your home for all things football every morning on nb. Hey, guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast. On this week's episode, I get together with Eva Longoria to talk about her rise from the small Texas ranch where she grew up to the heights of Hollywood as an actress, producer, director and philanthropist. You can get our conversation now for free wherever you download your podcasts. And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Israel has launched a new ground offensive into Gaza City. Officials saying the mission is aimed at taking out Hamas's main stronghold. Overnight, the sky lit up with explosions. Israel's defense minister even declaring Gaza is burning the new operation causing further death and destruction in a city struggling with famine. A doctor at Al Shifa Hospital says at least 96 bodies have been brought to hospitals across Gaza since the assault began. Israel's offensive is drawing sharp backlash. European leaders denouncing the operation. And today a new report commissioned by the UN Went even further, accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel flatly rejecting that, calling the report distorted and false. Meanwhile, peace talks don't seem to be going anywhere. Secretary of State Rubio leaving Israel this morning, making it clear the diplomatic push is stalled.
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At some point, Hamas has to be defanged, and we hope it can happen through negotiation.
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But I think time, unfortunately, is running out.
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And some of the loudest critics of this new push, the families of Israeli hostages. As word of the ground campaign spread, they gathered outside of Prime Minister Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem to protest. Anat Angrest is the mother of Matan, who is being held by Hamas in Gaza we heard the bombs are getting stronger all over Gaza. Our children out there. The Prime Minister Netanyahu, instead of saving our children, is bombing them. He doesn't want negotiation. Want to bring in NBC News foreign correspondent Matt Bradley, who's on the ground for us in Israel. Hi, Matt.
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Hey, how are you?
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We're seeing some pretty startling images, I'd say, coming out of Gaza right now. This ground offensive has began and the takeover, it seems, of Gaza City, 60,000 reservists have been called up for the Israeli military. Walk me through what we know so far about this ground operation we've been.
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Hearing and Gaza and people in Gaza City have been hearing for the past several days or weeks evacuation orders asking them to leave Gaza City. Because remember, this whole operation was telegraphed several weeks ago and it is really just starting now after weeks and weeks of maneuvers by the IDF around Gaza City. From what I heard from the Israeli military this morning, they already have boots on the ground, as it were, inside Gaza City, soldiers who are operating there. They said that 350,000 people inside that area that they've identified as the focus point of this incursion have already fled. But that means that there are still hundreds of thousands who are left. That is a big, big problem. And it's not only those civilians who are left who are in the line of fire now. And we know it's also according to some sources within the Israeli military, about 20 hostages are thought to still be in the Gaza City area. And that is a particular concern to Israelis and the family members of those hostages who believe and are saying that this ground operation is just going to prolong the war and that it will put their loved ones lives at risk. So what we're seeing here is some, some real anxiety about what's going to be happening within the next couple of days.
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So I want to talk about the two different groups of people that are currently under siege. And first is the Palestinians. Right? As you mentioned, hundreds of thousands have left Gaza City, but hundreds of thousands are unable to leave. What happens to those people? What is the plan for those individuals according to the IDF or Netanyahu's government with this siege?
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This is one of the things that we heard from Eyel Zamir, who is the military chief of staff. And this was not public, but this was written up in Israeli media and he complained and has been complaining for the past several weeks openly in these closed door meetings that there is no end game to this. There is no day after. And you see this in places like Lebanon or Iran where we're seeing a military dominance by the Israelis, but without a political or diplomatic solution that would eventually move to end these crises. Now, the situation with Lebanon and Israel ended with a ceasefire with Iran and Israel ended with a ceasefire. We haven't seen that. And now it looks as though hopes have been dashed for a negotiated ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that would free those remaining hostages, which means that the civilian population inside Gaza City, which is now very much in the crosshairs, is going to have to expect some severe punishment. Now, according to people that I've been speaking to who have been briefed on this issue in the Israeli government, they say that this is going to be a very gradual move by the IDF into Gaza City.
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And then you have the hostages that are still inside Gaza. And I mentioned, as I came to you, the families that were camped out outside of Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem, family members that are very worried about the safe return of their hostages. What is the explanation from the Israeli government on them? How do they plan on getting those that are still alive back?
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Well, the Israeli government has been maintaining a pretty consistent line on this issue, they say, despite the evidence, despite the glaring fact that the vast majority of the hostages that have been released so far have been released under negotiated ceasefires. The Israelis and Benjamin Netanyahu, top down, say that the only reason why those negotiated ceasefires have worked to the extent that those hostages have been freed is because of military pressure. And I actually spoke just a couple of minutes ago with a young man whose brother has continued there, who's still in captivity. He was saying that he's. He was having trouble sorting this out. He doesn't know what to think. He's been protesting, demanding an end to the war and the release of all the remaining hostages. But he also is sticking to Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government's line that this is a crisis that needs military pressure. So Israeli society is very much divided on this.
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Matt, how do Israelis feel right now about their prime minister?
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Well, there is always a lot of anger. And this predates the October 7th attacks. There were protests in the streets that were rolling for months and months over Netanyahu's what they called judicial bill, judicial reforms. In terms of opinion polls that we've been hearing, there is a lot of support for this current operation, but there is still a lot of anger at how the war has been continued and how it looks as though to many Israelis that the goalposts for some sort of ceasefire, negotiated end of the fighting, how they keep shifting and that it's Netanyahu who's the one who's shifting them and doing it for cynical purposes in order to cling to power. So I wouldn't necessarily say it's directed in one particular direction in a unifying way that could change government or change policies. Remember, these protests have been going on on a more than weekly basis for nearly two years. And yet the war persists. The fact that his popularity isn't suffering that much, even though we're seeing a lot of anger on the street level.
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Is there a sense inside Israel that if they were to hand over all the hostages, that he would in fact end this war?
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Well, that would be one of the, one of the contingencies. That would be one of the requirements that the war would have to end if the hostages were to be released. That is a deal that has been on the table for quite some time, whether or not Israelis believe that Netanyahu would honor that. I don't think any Israeli wants to see Hamas staying in power, but they don't want to do it at the expense of the lives of those last remaining 20 hostages. And the polling shows this out. The people that I've spoken to, anecdotally, they bear this out, that they want to see Hamas destroyed, but they also want to see the hostages freed. And they want that first and foremost. And if that means that the other goal of totally destroying Hamas is, is put secondary, well, then so be it.
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Matt Bradley, thank you. All right, let's get to some headlines. President Donald Trump is headed to the UK For a state visit. Before he left, the president filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against Penguin, Random House and the New York Times, accusing the publication of a decades long pattern of intentional and malicious defamation. The lawsuit filed in the US District Court in Florida names the newspaper and four of its journalists as defendants. Trump suit claims the newspaper has become a, quote, virtual mouthpiece for the radical left Democrat Party and cites several articles and a book published during the 2024 presidential campaign as examples of what he calls false and defamatory content. In response, a spokesperson for the Times said the lawsuit lacks any legitimate legal claims and is simply an attempt to stifle independent reporting. Penguin Random House called it a, quote, meritless lawsuit and said the company, quote, we'll continue to uphold the First Amendment values that are fundamental to our role as a publisher. The lawsuit also references previous settlements Trump has reached with other media outlets, including ABC and cbs. A New York judge has dropped the top state terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione. The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The court ruled the evidence was, quote, legally insufficient to prove Mangione intended to intimidate the public, a key requirement under the statute. Mangione still faces state second degree murder charges in a federal murder case that could bring the death penalty. Prosecutors say he stalked Thompson and was driven by hostility towards the health care industry. Mangione has pled not guilty to all the charges. Robert Redford, the legendary actor, director, and champion of independent film has died at 89 years old. With his striking looks, quiet charisma, and a career spanning six decades, Redford became a Hollywood icon whose influence reached far beyond the screen. Born in Santa Monica in 1936, Redford rose to fame as a magnetic leading man from his legendary partnership with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
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You just keep thinking butch. That's what you're good at.
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Boy, I got dark.
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And the rest of the world wears.
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Bifocals to his heartbreaking turn opposite Barbra Streisand in the Way We Were, where Hubble's bittersweet goodbye to Katie girl became one of cinema's most unforgettable moments.
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Your girl is lovely, Hubble. Why don't you bring her for a drink when you come? I can't.
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He later proved his range with roles like journalist Bob Woodward in All the President's Men.
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If you're gonna do it, do it right.
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Hear my notes.
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If you're gonna hype it, hype it with the facts.
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Off screen, he was an academy award winning director and reshaped film by founding the Sundance Institute in 1981, launching a festival that gave countless independent voices their start. And as his character once said in.
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The Natural and then when I walked down the street, people would have looked and they would have said, there goes.
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Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.
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So too, when he walked among us, people could look and say, there goes Robert Redford, one of the best that ever was. All right, that is going to do it for us at here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. Hey, everyone, it's Adriana Brock, editorial director for Shop Today. And I'm so excited to share our summer of savings. All summer long, Today.com has the biggest discounts on the hottest deals. Looking for your favorites in home beauty, tech and fashion. Trust me, you cannot miss this. Our shopping experts have found hundreds of incredible deals and put them all in one convenient place to save you the hassle, head to today.com summersavings to start shopping.