FBI Expands Kirk Case & Hochul Endorses Mamdani | 9.16.25

Summary

Morning Wire — September 16, 2025: FBI Expands Kirk Case & Hochul Endorses Mamdani

Hosts: Georgia Howe & John Bickley
Date: September 16, 2025
Main Theme: Today's episode covers three major news stories: the FBI's ongoing investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk, New York politics as Governor Hochul endorses Zoran Mamdani for Mayor, and the U.S. reaction to Brazil's sentencing of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

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1. FBI Expands Investigation into Charlie Kirk Assassination

Overview

(00:04–06:05)

The episode opens with major developments in the investigation into conservative commentator Charlie Kirk's assassination. New evidence has tied the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, more firmly to the crime scene, and the FBI is now probing possible broader left-wing involvement.

Key Discussion Points

• New DNA Evidence & Lone Shooter Focus:

  • FBI confident that Tyler Robinson is the primary actor, citing DNA evidence on items left at the scene ([01:19], Cabot Phillips).
  • The investigation is expanding to explore whether Robinson coordinated with others or shared his intentions.

• Radical Group & Online Activity Under Scrutiny:

  • The far-left pro-trans group Armed Queers Salt Lake City is being investigated for possible ties, especially after their Instagram account vanished post-shooting ([01:19], Cabot Phillips).

  • Law enforcement also examining suspicious social media posts that hinted at the shooting before it occurred.

    “One leftist user on X wrote beforehand, ‘it would be funny if someone like Charlie Kirk got shot on September 10th.’” – Cabot Phillips (01:54)

• Shooter’s Plans & Ideology:

  • FBI discovered a destroyed note outlining Robinson's intentions and a text exchange forecasting the attack ([02:32], Amanda Presto Giacomo).
  • FBI Director Cash Patel confirmed Robinson subscribed more strongly to left-wing ideology in recent years ([05:18], Amanda Presto Giacomo).

• Conservative Reaction and Mourning:

  • Vice President J.D. Vance guest-hosts The Charlie Kirk Show, delivering a heartfelt tribute and committing to upholding Kirk’s legacy ([03:09], J.D. Vance).

    “All of these moments that I get to have, Charlie is not able to have them anymore. ... Maybe the best way that I could honor my dear friend is to be the best husband that I can be.” – J.D. Vance (03:09)

  • White House Deputy Chief Stephen Miller vows aggressive government action to dismantle domestic terror networks, framing the assassination as political violence from the left ([03:46], Stephen Miller).

    "We are going to use every resource...to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks and make America safe again." – Stephen Miller (03:46)

  • Vance condemns any attempts at unity with those who celebrate or excuse Kirk’s death:

    “There is no unity with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk's assassination.” – J.D. Vance (04:11)

• Media Coverage and Public Perception:

  • The hosts criticize mainstream media for allegedly downplaying the leftist motives of the shooter, noting polling shows public confusion about his background ([04:47], Cabot Phillips).

  • Recent polling indicates “very liberal” Americans are much more likely to see political violence as justified compared to “very conservative” Americans ([05:28], Cabot Phillips).

    "For very liberal Americans...that number is 25%. So they're eight times more likely to say that political violence is justified.” – Cabot Phillips (05:28)

Notable Quotes

• “If there's a larger network here, we're going to get that out to the public as soon as we can.” — John Bickley (00:12)
• “He had a text message exchange...in which he claimed that he had an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk.” — Amanda Presto Giacomo (02:32)
• “The muddying of the waters from the media in those early days...is clearly playing a role with average Americans.” – Cabot Phillips (05:28)

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2. New York Politics: Mamdani’s Big Endorsement and Controversial Safety Plan

Overview

(07:10–11:16)

Radical left candidate Zoran Mamdani receives a major boost in his mayoral run as Governor Kathy Hochul announces her endorsement. Mamdani simultaneously unveils an updated plan to shift some police responsibilities to mental health and community teams.

Key Discussion Points

• Significance of Hochul’s Endorsement:

  • Hochul’s endorsement of open Democratic Socialist Mamdani could unify the Democratic establishment behind him ([07:33], Amanda Presto Giacomo).

  • Hochul needs urban voters to compensate for her unpopularity in the suburbs and upstate, especially with her 2026 re-election on the horizon.

    “She needs to be on good terms with the future mayor...She's really going to have to lean on the urban vote.” – Amanda Presto Giacomo (07:58)

  • Her NYT op-ed supports Mamdani for his affordability focus and opposition to Trump influences.

    “She said that she wants the next mayor to be someone who won't surrender one inch to President Trump ... they must not allow Trump to control New York City like the, quote, king he wants to be.” – Amanda Presto Giacomo (08:31)

• Trump's Reaction:

  • Trump labels Mamdani as a “little communist” and criticizes Hochul's support, hinting that future federal funding for New York is at risk ([09:03], Amanda Presto Giacomo).

    “He said that Hochul endorsed the, quote, little communist Zoran Mamdani.” – Amanda Presto Giacomo (09:03)

• Mamdani’s Public Safety Plan:

  • Proposes a citizen-led Department of Community Safety to handle nonviolent 911 calls, staffed with social workers, “violence interrupters,” and mental health teams ([10:02], Amanda Presto Giacomo).

  • The revised plan keeps current police staffing levels but makes an appeal to moderation; however, law enforcement experts remain critical, warning that nonviolent crises can escalate ([10:02], Amanda Presto Giacomo).

  • Mamdani previously called the NYPD “racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety.”

    “A mental health crisis might start out as nonviolent, but that could easily escalate if ill prepared people attempt to intervene.” – Amanda Presto Giacomo (11:10)

Notable Quotes

• “Well, this could get the Democrat Party establishment behind Mamdani. ... Now, there's a lot of speculation that we'll see other prominent Democrat leaders throw their support behind him too.” – Amanda Presto Giacomo (07:33)
• “It does look like Mamdani is probably going to win barring a major shakeup.” – Amanda Presto Giacomo (07:58)
• “Amanda, thanks for reporting.” – Georgia Howe (11:10)

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3. Brazil’s Bolsonaro Sentenced, US Threatens Response

Overview

(12:26–16:58)

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro is sentenced to 27 years in prison for an alleged coup attempt. The U.S. administration, perceiving the process as politically motivated, has threatened “severe consequences.” Senior policy analyst Andres Martinez Fernandez provides expert analysis.

Key Discussion Points

• Background on Bolsonaro’s Conviction:

  • Accused of attempting a coup to overturn the 2022 election results, leveraging the military and public institutions ([13:03], Andres Martinez Fernandez).

  • The case is contentious; the court’s evidence is seen by critics as insubstantial, feeding controversy and claims of political targeting.

    "There's really a lot of doubt about the veracity of these accusations, a lot of questions about the evidence being insubstantial..." – Andres Martinez Fernandez (13:49)

• Amnesty Discussions:

  • Given the conviction’s severity and controversy, there is growing talk of amnesty in Brazil’s Congress ([13:49], Andres Martinez Fernandez).
  • Without amnesty, Bolsonaro cannot run for president again, removing the right's most prominent figure ([14:51], Andres Martinez Fernandez).

• U.S. Government Response:

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls the process a “witch hunt” and promises that the U.S. will “respond accordingly” ([15:20], John Bickley).

  • U.S. skepticism centers on the perceived political motives of Brazil’s Supreme Court – which has a history of high-profile, politicized cases (including one with Elon Musk over Twitter).

    "There's a disconnect ... between the pursuit of justice and the political priorities that we see the Supreme Court in Brazil pursuing." – Andres Martinez Fernandez (15:37)

  • Economic sanctions seem likely as the administration considers how to pressure Brazil ([16:50], John Bickley).

Notable Quotes

• “Justice was not being followed here in this case or whether there was a political motivation around these upcoming elections.” – Andres Martinez Fernandez (15:10)
• “Meanwhile, it appears economic sanctions are in the works in the White House.” – John Bickley (16:50)

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Summary Table of Key Segments

| Segment | Start | End | Highlights | |-----------------------------------------------|----------|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FBI Expands Kirk Case | 00:04 | 06:05 | New DNA evidence; far-left group investigated; political/ideological media narratives; emotional tributes| | NY: Hochul Endorses Mamdani & Safety Plan | 07:10 | 11:16 | Democratic Socialist endorsed for NYC mayor; controversial mental health/public safety proposal | | Brazil: Bolsonaro Sentenced, US Responds | 12:26 | 16:58 | Bolsonaro gets 27 years; controversy over evidence; U.S. criticizes process and hints at sanctions |

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Memorable Moments

• J.D. Vance’s emotional remembrance of Charlie Kirk (03:09)
• FBI’s new direction in Kirk case, including investigation of left-wing groups and social media (01:19–02:54)
• Trump’s caustic reaction to Hochul's endorsement of Mamdani (09:03)
• Details of Mamdani’s Department of Community Safety plan (10:02)
• US officials openly challenging the legitimacy of Brazil’s court ruling against Bolsonaro (15:20–16:50)

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Tone:
Serious and urgent, with strong conservative perspectives, direct speaker attribution, and an emphasis on cultural and political conflict.
For Listeners:
This episode is rich with updates on flashpoint political events, highlighting ideological divides in both national and international contexts, and underscoring concerns over biased media representation and controversial legal cases.

Transcript

[Georgia Howe]

New DNA evidence ties Charlie Kirk's suspected shooter to the scene. As the FBI says it's now looking beyond the primary assassin.

[John Bickley]

I promise you, if there's a larger network here, we're going to get that out to the public as soon as we can.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Tuesday, September 16th, and this is Morning Wire.

[John Bickley]

Zoran Mamdani scores a major endorsement for New York mayor as he puts forth a controversial public safety plan. I've actually found support for this vision of the dcs, of this idea of the removal of mental health crisis from.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

The NYPD's set of responsibilities.

[Georgia Howe]

And the White House threatens Brazil after its Supreme Court sentences the Trump of the tropics to 27 years in prison.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned, we have the news you need to. As conservatives rally together following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the FBI says they're investigating radical left wing groups for potential ties to the killer.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has the details. So, Cabot, we already have a suspect in custody, but now we're hearing about some of his potential ties. What do we know so far?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, authorities seem totally confident right now that Tyler Robinson acted alone, pulling the trigger. DNA evidence found on a screwdriver and towel left at the scene have matched with the 22 year old. But now they want to know if he coordinated this attack with anyone else or even shared plans ahead of time with potential collaborators. Among those being investigated by law enforcement is the far left pro transgender group Armed Queers Salt Lake City. They deleted their Instagram account shortly after the shooting. But a membership form online listed their core principles, which included, quote, the armed and militant protection of queer and trans communities, trans liberation and an organized revolutionary movement. The bureau is also looking into a number of social media users who seemingly displayed potential foreknowledge of the assassination. For example, one leftist user on X wrote beforehand, quote, it would be funny if someone like Charlie Kirk got shot on September 10th. Again, that came a week beforehand. Another post read, quote, charlie Kirk is coming to my college tomorrow. I really hope someone evaporates him. Literally. Let's just say something big will happen tomorrow. And then, according to FBI Director Cass Patel, Robinson told at least one person beforehand that we know of what he planned on doing.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

He had a text message exchange he the suspect with another individual in which he claimed that he had an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and he was going to do it because of his hatred for what Charlie stood for.

[Cabot Phillips]

Patel then went on to say that Robinson wrote a note ahead of time detailing his plans. And that note was destroyed, but thankfully recovered by the bureau.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, we also heard from a number of Trump administration officials yesterday. What did they say?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, Vice President J.D. vance filled in to host the Charlie Kirk Show Monday, offering encouragement to listeners, vowing to carry on Charlie's legacy and sharing an emotional tribute to his fallen friend.

[J.D. Vance]

Books that I've read to my kids going up to their bedroom and kissing them and hugging them before bed. I just realized that all of these moments that I get to have, Charlie is not able to have them anymore. And Charlie's kids and his beautiful wife are not able to have them anymore. And maybe the best way that I can contribute and the best way that I could honor my dear friend is to be the best husband that I can be.

[Cabot Phillips]

Vince also brought on Caroline Levitt and other White House staff, including Deputy Chief Stephen Miller, who vowed to channel his, quote, righteous anger to go after those responsible.

[John Bickley]

It is a vast domestic terror movement, and with God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Home Security and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks and make America safe again for the American people. It will happen, and we will do.

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

It in Charlie's name and in a.

[Cabot Phillips]

Really just powerful moment. VP Vance offered strong words for anyone celebrating Charlie's death. Have a listen.

[J.D. Vance]

There is no unity with someone who lies about what Charlie Kirk said in order to excuse his murder. There is no unity with someone who harasses an innocent family the day after the father of that family lost a dear friend. There is no unity with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk's assassination. And there is no unity with the people who fund these articles, who pay the salaries of these terrorist sympathizers, who argue that Charlie Kirk, a loving husband and father, deserved a shot to the neck because he spoke words with which they disagree.

[Cabot Phillips]

And to that earlier point that Stephen Miller made, it's worth reiterating something we've talked about on the show, and that is the legacy media's just clear reluctance to address the shooter's political ideology and the role that it could have played here. Despite the now overwhelming evidence that he was a leftist who hated Charlie Kirk for his conservative views, a nationwide poll conducted this Sunday showed that more Americans believe the shooter was on the political right, not the political left. So clearly the truth is not getting out. FBI Director Cash Patel once again sought to clarify that point on Monday.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

His family has collectively told investigators that he subscribed to left wing ideology and even more so in these last couple of years.

[Cabot Phillips]

So it seems obvious that the muddying of the waters from the media in those early days after the shooting is clearly playing a role with average Americans. And as we continue to see so many folks still celebrating Charlie's death, it's worth going through some of the polling data on this topic. For example, a recent YouGov poll showed that only 3% of self identified very conservative Americans view political violence as ever acceptable. For very liberal Americans though, that number is 25%. So they're eight times more likely to say that political violence is justified.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, that's a trend we saw really accelerate since 2016. Cabot, thanks for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

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[John Bickley]

Radical left candidate Zoran Mandani just got a major endorsement for New York City's mayor. Meanwhile, he's just dropped his new plan to replace officers with mental health teams.

[Georgia Howe]

Here with the details is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo. So Amanda Mamdani just landed a major endorsement from New York's Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul. First, why is her endorsement so significant?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Well, this could get the Democrat Party establishment behind Mamdani. Hochul notably kept her distance from him during the New York City mayoral primary. Mamdani is an open Democratic socialist And he has some extremely far left ideas, including government run grocery stores. With this endorsement from Hochul, there's a lot of speculation that we'll see other prominent Democrat leaders throw their support behind him too, now.

[Georgia Howe]

So why is Hochul backing Mamdani? Has she said?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Well, she didn't say this in her New York Times op ed, but she's facing the political reality that she needs to be on good terms with the future mayor. It does look like Mamdani is probably going to win Barnes a major shakeup. So this is someone she'll likely have to work with very soon. She's also running for reelection in 2026. Some politicos think that she's just so disliked by folks in the suburbs and most of upstate New York that she's really going to have to lean on the urban vote. And that's where Mom Donnie has really strong support.

[Georgia Howe]

Now in the op ed, what were the reasons she cited for why she's supporting him?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Well, Hochul said that she's backing Mom Donnie because he's focused on affordability, as she is. And unsurprisingly, she also really zeroed in on Trump. She said that she wants the next mayor to be someone who won't surrender one inch to President Trump. And she complained about the abhorrent and destructive policies coming out of Washington every day. She added that they must not allow Trump to control New York City like the, quote, king he wants to be.

[Georgia Howe]

So some familiar rhetoric there. Has Trump responded to this at all?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Yeah, he did. On Monday morning. He said that Hochul endorsed the, quote, little communist Zoran Mamdani. And he called it a rather shocking development and a very bad one for New York City. In this recent post, Trump said that Washington is going to be watching the situation. And he added that he sees no reason to be sending good money after bad. Now, that right there does suggest that there'll be less cooperation with the feds when Hochul requests federal dollars for her state or New York City specifically. You know, it was just months ago that Hochul was thanking Trump for billions of federal dollars that she had asked for to help reconstruct Penn Station that relieved New York taxpayers of a $1.3 billion burden. Perhaps that federal help is not as easily obtained in the future.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, just a day after Hochul's endorsement, Mamdani dropped a new version of his controversial plan to replace police officers with mental health teams for some emergency calls. What do we know about that plan?

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Yeah, Mamdani first announced back in April that he wants to create a citizen led Department of Community Safety. Now this agency would deploy social workers, so called violence interrupters, typically people with criminal histories and mental health teams to respond to non violent 911 calls. It would cost the city about $1.1 billion total and it would shift some NYPD funds as well as adding new costs. His newly refined version of this agency, which was announced yesterday, it tries to moderate this idea somewhat. So for example, Mamdani clarified that he wants to keep police staffing where it's at instead of making any cuts. His opponents, by the way, want to boost police forces. Mamdani is largely viewed as anti police and he's trying to combat that image. Back in 2020 he called the NYPD racist, anti queer and a major threat to public safety and and he demanded that they be defunded. Now this idea of community policing, it was widely panned by law enforcement experts back in April. For one thing, they say a mental health crisis might start out as nonviolent, but that could easily escalate if ill prepared people attempt to intervene.

[Georgia Howe]

While Democrats need to tread carefully because they were really punished for the defund the police movement. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

You're welcome.

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[Georgia Howe]

After a two week public trial, Brazil's five Supreme Court justices sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for an alleged coup attempt. The Trump administration is now threatening severe consequences.

[John Bickley]

Joining us now to discuss is Andres Martinez Fernandez, senior policy analyst for Latin America at the Heritage Foundation. Andres, thank you so much for coming on.

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Thanks for having me.

[John Bickley]

So we've seen Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, who many have likened to Trump in the past. He was convicted late last week. First, for those who have not been tracking this pretty remarkable case, what was the argument against him?

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Well, what the Supreme Court in Brazil was alleging is that the ex president of Brazil was organizing a sort of coup to undermine the electoral outcome from the elections in 2022 that would perpetuate him in power. And the allegations are that he utilized the military and other public institutions in effort to affect that change and preserve his mandate.

[John Bickley]

And for this, he's now sentenced to 27 years in prison. There are already reports about government officials considering amnesty for Bolsonaro. That's something we've seen with past leaders in coup attempts in Brazil. Why is amnesty on the table and what would need to happen for him to go free?

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[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Well, there's, yeah, a significant amount of discussion around amnesty in this case in particular, because it's highly controversial. There's really a lot of doubt about the veracity of these accusations, a lot of questions about the evidence being insubstantial and the conclusions that were drawn from that by, again, a court which has also been at the center of a lot of controversy, really being brought into question by the public and the Brazilian political class in general, because this is a case which has a lot of question marks around it, and particularly with this sentencing, which is dramatic over 25 years for this person who just a few years ago was occupying the top office in Brazil, is very controversial at the moment. So a lot of Congress in Brazil and others are exploring very actively the need to take action to bypass this hearing, this sentencing.

[John Bickley]

If that happens, if Bolsonaro is granted amnesty, will he be able to run again for office in the future?

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

So under this conviction, he is no longer able to run for president. And that's certainly significant as far as its impact because he remains the most popular figure on the right in Brazil, certainly, and was certainly in discussions for being a leading figure.

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And again, this is part of what.

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Why there are a lot of questions about whether or not justice was being followed here in this case or whether there was a political motivation around these upcoming elections.

[John Bickley]

Speaking of that, the political criticisms, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in response to the ruling that the US Will, and I'm quoting, respond accordingly to this witch hunt. That's the language they're using. Why does the administration view this as a witch hunt and what actions do you expect them to take?

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Well, like I said, I think that there's a lot that hasn't been answered as to the gap between the allegations which the Supreme Court has brought and the evidence that has been revealed as far as the complicity of the former president of Brazil. And at the same time, there are a lot of very serious questions about political bias by the court itself, which has not just in this case, but in several others shown itself to be a very political entity, including with a high profile battle with Elon Musk and the platform of Twitter then. But really there's a disconnect, I think, that a lot of people see and this administration certainly sees between the pursuit of justice and the political priorities that we see the Supreme Court in Brazil pursuing. And that's what the administration is really seeking to counter leveraging the United States economic heft and influence in that country. But it's clearly going to be a very significant challenge here. We'll see if the amnesty path is an out here, but there's a lot of political interests really at play here.

[John Bickley]

Indeed, we'll see if this talk of amnesty actually turns into action. Meanwhile, it appears economic sanctions are in the works in the White House. Andres, thanks so much for joining us.

[Andres Martinez Fernandez]

Thank you.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're watching on YouTube, please like and subscribe. We'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.