American Sunrise – September 18, 2025

Podcast: Real America’s Voice / iHeartPodcasts
Date: September 18, 2025
Episode Theme: Unfiltered news and reactions to breaking U.S./world events, focusing on free speech, the Charlie Kirk assassination, President Trump’s new policies, and U.S.-UK relations.

Brief Overview

This episode of American Sunrise delivers reactions and analysis on several pivotal news stories:

• President Trump’s designation of Antifa as a domestic terror organization and calls to “follow the money” behind activist groups;
• Ongoing national mourning (and controversy) over the assassination of Charlie Kirk, with campus and cultural repercussions;
• Major U.S.-UK trade and technology agreements, highlighted by President Trump’s state visit and partnership with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer;
• Broader themes of American leadership, values, free speech, and the societal response to recent high-profile tragedies and policy shifts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump’s Crackdown on Antifa and Funding for Activist Groups

[01:31–04:21]

• Dr. Gina, David Brody, and Terrence Bates open with news that President Trump has designated Antifa as a domestic terror group.
• Trump’s statement brands Antifa as “a sick, dangerous, radical left disaster” and vows to investigate its funders, with the hosts echoing the need to “follow the money.”
• Dr. Gina cautions conservatives: “Those things...that we support...about hate speech...They can flip on you in one administration...Democrats should have thought of this while they were...making innocent people terrorists.” [02:11]
• Brody reminds listeners of past minimizations by Democrats—“I remember Joe Biden in 2020 calling Antifa an idea...Well, now, an idea is a domestic terrorist threat.” [03:41]
• Discussion turns to the legal/operational challenges and the possible extension to NGOs alleged to support illegal immigration.

2. The National Response to Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

[04:32–13:26]

• The assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk dominates headlines and conversation.
• The team highlights consequences for professors allegedly celebrating Kirk’s death (firings at Austin Pace State University and Clemson).
• Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn joins to discuss the chilling effect of divisive words, campus controversies, and the real-world consequences for academics and public figures.

AI & Tech Influence in Youth Suicides

[06:53–10:15]

• Blackburn details Senate hearings on AI and the Metaverse, linking AI bots to increased youth suicides and self-harm.
• She names whistleblowers inside Meta, Facebook, Google, Snap, Discord, and references the ongoing struggle to pass the Kids Online Safety Act.

"Big tech companies have no desire to protect children...the whistleblowers...said the legal team had even instructed them to delete certain conversations, to not push forward certain research." [08:11]

3. Crime Crackdown in Memphis & National Security

[10:15–13:30]

• Memphis brings in the National Guard to combat crime, reportedly as “phase two” following a covert FBI surge that led to over 500 gang arrests.
• Blackburn notes, “Memphis is short 800 police officers...Cargo theft...has increased 5,000%. The gangs...use those funds to fund their activities.” [11:37]

4. Live Coverage: Trump–Starmer U.S.-UK Tech & Trade Summit

[14:22–36:00]

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Trump deliver remarks during a historic state visit and signing of the U.S.-UK “Tech Prosperity Deal.”
• Starmer calls the partnership “the biggest investment package of its kind in British history by a country mile...expected to create 15,000 jobs.” [16:16]
• Trump touts record investments, deregulation, new tax cuts, and “an unbreakable bond”:

“There’s no more natural partnership in the world...this new accord is already helping spur a massive wave of private sector deals worth over $350 billion alone...” [22:11]

• Both leaders emphasize tech, energy, and AI innovation. Trump highlights deregulation and rapid approval for energy projects, claiming, “We used to wait 15-20 years to be rejected. Now they wait two to three weeks to be accepted.” [26:38]

5. American Leadership and Resurgence

[36:00–41:04]

• Bobby Charles, former diplomat and AMAC spokesperson, assesses the renewed U.S. leadership:

“You almost get the feeling that he’s a man of destiny...If you fall in behind this man, the world will be led to a better place.” [39:00]

• Parallel drawn to historical leaders like Reagan and Churchill, arguing the “special relationship” with the UK is rooted in shared risk-taking and freedom.

6. Northern Border Security & Drug Trafficking Concerns

[41:04–42:39]

• Bobby Charles warns about vulnerabilities at the U.S.-Canada border:

“The northern border is really the next big war zone...You push [on the southern border], it’s going to come out over there.” [41:27]

• Highlights the balloon effect in enforcement and need for vigilance.

7. National Reaction: Free Speech, Media, and Cancel Culture

[43:00–49:23]

Media Fallout After Charlie Kirk’s Death

• ABC anchor Benny Rae Harmony resigns after a tribute to Charlie Kirk, citing workplace hostility toward conservative beliefs and “retaliation for airing a tearful non-partisan tribute.” [43:00]
• Harmony describes pressure to “stay unbiased” and recounts, “From the second they hired me, they threatened me...I knew, just as Charlie would always say, he wouldn’t want us to be like him, he would want us to be like Christ.” [45:28]

8. Spiritual Response and National Reflection

[49:54–52:28]

• Surge in mass attendance and faith engagement—called the “Charlie Kirk effect”—with both Republicans and liberals turning to church in search of meaning after Kirk’s assassination.

“It’s not just Republicans turning to faith, it’s atheists...The left, that is coming as well...repulsed by people’s vile responses to Charlie Kirk’s death.” –Jonathan Shuttlesworth, Revival Today [51:05]

• Discussion of historic altar calls and reawakening on college campuses.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Free Speech Caution:
  “Those things...that we support...about hate speech...They can flip on you in one administration. Democrats should have thought of this...”

  • Dr. Gina, [02:11]

• On Antifa & Funding:
  “If we can defund somehow these NGOs that have operated really, as terrorists against the American people...this would be amazing...NGOs like the Red Cross, Catholic Charities...”

  • Dr. Gina, [02:55]

• Senator Blackburn on AI & Youth:
  “When something happens to your avatar, the children physiologically react the same as if it were happening to them in the physical world and they’re not separating reality.”

  • Sen. Blackburn, [07:30]

• Trump on U.S.-UK Bond:
  “There’s no more natural partnership in the world...We’re taking the next logical step with a historic agreement on science and technology partnerships.”

  • President Trump, [22:11]

• On Moral Leadership:
  “Sometimes a person will walk into a room and President Trump is this person. He will walk into a room and the entire room changes...”

  • Bobby Charles, [39:00]

• Media Cancelation After Kirk’s Assassination:
  “They told me I was not allowed to share my views and that I really did need to take an unbiased perspective...When Monday came...they didn’t give me an answer. It was just, if you don’t take it down, there will be consequences.”

  • Benny Rae Harmony, [45:28]

• On Faith Post—Kirk Assassination:
  “It’s not just Republicans turning to faith, it’s atheists...The left...that is coming as well, that’s outraged at how vile the reactions have been to Charlie Kirk’s death.”

  • Jonathan Shuttlesworth, [51:05]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Antifa Designation & Funding: [01:31–04:21]
• Charlie Kirk Assassination: Academic/Media Fallout: [04:32–13:26, 43:00–49:23, 97:06–99:57]
• Sen. Blackburn on AI/Social Media Harms: [06:53–10:15]
• Memphis Crime Crackdown: [10:15–13:30]
• U.S.-UK Technology & Trade Announcement (Trump/Starmer): [14:22–36:00]
• Bobby Charles on Leadership & the Northern Border: [36:00–42:39]
• Faith Response to Kirk’s Death: [49:54–52:28]
• Audience Reflection & First Amendment Conversation: [99:30–102:32]

Additional Highlights

• Vaccine Safety & Media Hostility: Sen. Ron Johnson shares on the ongoing battle for vaccine injury acknowledgment and the politicization of science.
  “We want to be seen, we want to be heard, we want to be helped...Science has been corrupted.” [62:37]
• Late-night TV Fallout: Jimmy Kimmel’s indefinite suspension for comments about Kirk’s death, with Trump calling ABC's announcement "great news for America." [57:19]
• Wall Street & Markets: U.S.-UK trade deal expected to boost markets; interest rate cut discussed as a positive sign, primarily for the tech sector. [74:41–78:22]
• Free Speech vs. Employment: The show repeatedly distinguishes between First Amendment rights and employers’ rights to terminate for offensive speech.
  “This is not a First Amendment issue. This is employment and contract law. Yes, a private employer can fire someone for doing something stupid under their purview.” —David Brody, [100:48]

Closing Thoughts

The episode underscores a major shift in American and global politics following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a legislative and cultural pivot in Washington and London, and a surging debate about the boundaries of free speech, both in employment and in public life. There is renewed emphasis on values, faith, and security—with stakes clearly felt in politics, the economy, campuses, and the private sector.

Summary compiled in the tone and spirit of the original hosts for readers who have not listened to this episode.