Morning Wire — September 17, 2025

Episode: "Kirk Investigation Expands & Operation Viper Greenlit"
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Produced by: The Daily Wire

Episode Overview

This episode addresses three major developing stories:

1. The escalating investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk, including expanded charges and chilling evidence.
2. Former President Trump's major lawsuit against The New York Times over alleged defamation and campaign bias.
3. The federal government’s aggressive new crime crackdown in Memphis, with possible expansion to other cities.

The hosts and expert guests offer up-to-the-minute reporting, relevant analysis, and notable on-the-record statements from key figures.

1. Charlie Kirk Assassination Investigation Expands

Key Developments

• Suspect Charged:

  • Tyler Robinson, 22, appeared in court facing seven counts, including aggravated murder, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.
  • Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty — Utah remains one of the few states that still employs the firing squad.

    "I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty. I do not take this decision lightly..."
    — Utah County District Attorney Jeff Gray [03:20–03:39]

• Chilling Evidence Unveiled:

  • Text messages between Robinson and his trans-identifying boyfriend reveal a political motive:

    "I had enough of his — that's Kirk's — hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."
    — Robinson, as read by Cabot Phillips [03:39–04:10]

  • Robinson confessed to multiple Discord contacts just before his arrest:

    "Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. I'm sorry for all of this."
    — Robinson, two hours before arrest [04:23]

• Additional Alleged Accomplice:

  • 71-year-old George Zinn, a well-known far-left Utah activist, initially claimed responsibility at the scene (“I shot him, now shoot me”), but later admitted to diverting attention to help Robinson escape.
  • Zinn now also faces child sex abuse material charges stemming from a phone search [05:07–05:33].

Federal & DOJ Response

• Attorney General Pam Bondi:
  • Promised decisive action against "hate speech," claiming such rhetoric contributed to Kirk's killing:

    "There's free speech and then there's hate speech... we will absolutely target you, go after you if you are targeting anyone with hate speech."
    — Pam Bondi [05:49–06:06]

  • Later clarified stance after criticism: only “hate speech [that] crosses the line into threats of violence” is a crime [06:25–06:42].

Notable Quotes

• "For far too long we've watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations and cheer on political violence. That era is over."
  — Pam Bondi, Attorney General [06:34–06:42]

2. Trump Sues The New York Times for Defamation

Lawsuit Details

• Filing:

  • $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit filed in Florida by Donald Trump.
  • Targets The New York Times and four top journalists: Suzanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Michael Schmidt, and Peter Baker.
  • Penguin Random House also named for publishing a book based on Times reporting [08:09–09:03].

• Key Allegations:

  • Claims The Times orchestrated a campaign to portray Trump as a fraud and as a “dictatorial threat,” aiming to damage his 2024 campaign.
  • Highlights a series and book alleging tax fraud, as well as an interview branding Trump a “fascist” [09:17–09:40].

• Trump’s Position:

  "Repugnant distortions and fabrications… [the Times has] deliberately minimized his contribution to... the Apprentice."
  — Megan Basham summarizing Trump’s claim [09:44–10:18]

• Defendants’ Response:

  • The NYT calls the lawsuit "meritless," arguing it's an attempt to “stifle and discourage independent reporting.”
  • Penguin Random House echoes the denial [10:20–10:46].

Legal Analysis

• Likelihood of Success:

  "Lawsuits against the media are notoriously difficult... Trump will have to prove malice, meaning the Times knowingly reported something that they knew was not true..."
  — Megan Basham [10:56–11:50]

  • Reference to previous Trump wins against ABC, suggesting this is not a guaranteed loss for Trump.

• Recent Example Cited:

  • The Times retracted claims this week about Kirk supposedly making anti-Semitic comments, which were actually quotations he went on to refute [11:50–12:04].

3. Federal Crime Crackdown: Operation Viper in Memphis

Policy Initiatives

• Executive Order:

  • Trump launches the Memphis SAFE Task Force to curtail street and violent crime with coordinated local, state, and federal intervention, including the FBI, ATF, HHS, HUD, and National Guard [13:34–14:00].

  "249 murders, 429 rapes, 5,616 burglaries, and 12,522 violent assaults... in 2024 and... 2025."
  — President Trump [14:14–14:35]

• Operation Viper:

  • Earlier, Operation Viper led to hundreds of prior arrests; its efforts will be supplemented under the new directive [14:35–14:56].

Local and State Reactions

• Tennessee Governor Bill Lee:
  • Supports deploying the National Guard as needed [14:00–14:14].
• Memphis Mayor Paul Young:
  • Opposes but concedes local control:

    "My goal is to make sure that if they are indeed coming, that we have an opportunity to drive some of the decisions around how they engage in our community."
    — Mayor Young [15:14–15:23]

• Community:
  • Many local business owners and residents appear supportive.

    "It's just so dangerous... you can't get out of your car... If the National Guard is going to stop the crime, bring them out."
    — Memphis Resident [15:44–15:58]

Plans for Expansion

• Possible Next Targets:
  • Trump hints at expanding direct federal intervention to Chicago, despite opposition from Illinois’ Democrat leadership:

    "We have actually more power in D.C. because it's... I can change the mayor if I want... We've had a great relationship."
    — President Trump [16:37–16:48]

  • “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago targeting illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds was recently launched [16:48–17:06].

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "A person is four times more likely to be murdered in Memphis, Tennessee today than in Mexico City. And you know Mexico City is not a cakewalk."
  — President Trump [01:21–01:31]

• "We will absolutely target you, go after you if you are targeting anyone with hate speech."
  — Attorney General Pam Bondi [05:49–06:06]

• "Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. I’m sorry for all of this."
  — Tyler Robinson, suspect [04:23]

• "Repugnant distortions and fabrications..."
  — Donald Trump, in lawsuit summary [09:44–10:18]

• "You can't get out of your car. You can't go to the grocery store... If the National Guard is going to stop the crime, bring them out."
  — Memphis Resident [15:44–15:58]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:35] Charlie Kirk case charges, key evidence
• [03:20–03:39] DA statement on death penalty
• [04:38] Additional accomplice charged
• [05:49–06:42] DOJ response and controversy over “hate speech”
• [08:00] Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times introduced
• [09:44] Trump’s allegations and arguments
• [10:20] The Times’ defense
• [13:14] Operation Viper/Memphis crime crackdown begins
• [14:14] Trump enumerates Memphis crime statistics
• [15:14] Memphis Mayor’s stance
• [15:44] Resident’s testimony
• [16:08] Federal interventions possibly expanding to Chicago

Summary

This episode delivers in-depth updates on three national stories—each exemplifying deeper societal divides (political violence and media trust, free speech boundaries, and partisan conflict over law enforcement). Noteworthy is the detailed exploration of the Kirk investigation and ramifications for political discourse, as well as the clash between Trump and the media, and big-city law enforcement strategies under federal leadership. The reporting contains a blend of fact-driven analysis and pointed commentary, matching Morning Wire’s direct, urgent tone.