AMERICA'S VOICE LIVE WITH STEVE GRUBER - SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2025

Summary

Real America’s Voice Live with Steve Gruber — September 12, 2025

Main Theme & Episode Overview

This episode of America’s Voice Live, hosted by Steve Gruber, is dominated by the aftermath of the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Gruber and his guests provide updates on the investigation, reflect on Charlie Kirk’s impact and legacy, analyze the rising tide of political violence in America, and discuss related issues such as partisan rhetoric, polling on political violence, recent school shootings, and ongoing accusations of IRS bias against conservatives. The overall tone is somber, urgent, and deeply concerned for the state of national discourse and social peace.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Assassination of Charlie Kirk — Updates and Analysis

• Breaking News & Suspect Details ([01:35-03:48])

  • Gruber reports the arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, identified as the suspect in Kirk's assassination.
  • Law enforcement traced Robinson through online evidence, family interviews, and surveillance video.
  • Chilling evidence: Robinson engraved casings with phrases like “hey, fascist, catch” and antifascist symbols.
  • Utah Governor Spencer Cox announces officials will seek the death penalty; the suspect reportedly believed Kirk was “full of hate.”

• Quote:
  "Political violence has no place in this country. Most of us know that. But the left, well, seems to be a bit of a different story."
  — Steve Gruber [03:48]

• Guest: Lt. Stephen Rogers (Ret. US Navy/Police) ([04:04-13:22])

  • Argues the perpetrator should be charged with terrorism to involve federal authorities.
  • Points to incendiary rhetoric by political leaders as “fueling the fire.”
  • Decries mainstream media for not reporting when conservatives or Christians are targeted.

• Online Reaction Montage ([06:10-07:29])

  • Gruber airs a montage of social media posts celebrating Kirk's killing, summarizing the “depth of depravity.”
  • Language is intense; several posts demonize or mock the victim.

• Quote:
  “These are sick people, Steve. ... Their friends, their neighbors—at least some of the people they’re around that are sane—should be on the phone right now making a telephone call.”
  — Stephen Rogers [07:58]

• Call for Spiritual Leadership ([09:51-11:01])

  • Rogers says clergy, rather than politicians, must help re-anchor the nation spiritually.
  • Reiterates faith as the path toward reconciliation.

• Charlie Kirk’s Legacy & Forgiveness ([11:01-13:01])

  • Gruber recalls Kirk’s view that “the most powerful weapon... is forgiveness.”
  • Rogers encourages acts of tribute by flying flags and instilling prayer as a family and communal practice, asserting, “We have to forgive. It’s tough, but we don’t forget.”

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2. Law Enforcement and Behavioral Analysis

• Guest: Chris Pihota (Retired FBI Executive Assistant Director) ([15:19-22:52])

  • Praises law enforcement’s rapid arrest of the suspect, with family reportedly restraining Robinson until police arrived.
  • Clarifies that murder is usually prosecuted at the state level but notes federal charges are possible.
  • Affirms that evidence and imagery suggest the suspect was affiliated with radical left/Marxist ideology.

• Quote:
  “You can safely assume at this point that he leans more toward the extreme left or Marxist or communist ideologies... This individual was radicalized.”
  — Chris Pihota [18:43]

• On Division and Prospects for the Nation

  • Pihota warns society is “utterly divided” and calls for more respect and unifying leadership.
  • Addresses the risk of foreign (China, Russia) social media bots amplifying violence.
  • Concludes that dialogue over social media echo chambers is vital to national healing.

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3. The State of America: Polling and Public Sentiment

• Guest: Mark Mitchell (Rasmussen Reports Head Pollster) ([22:54-29:48])

  • Reveals sharp overnight drops in “right direction” polling, reflecting a public gut-check after Kirk’s death.
  • Reports nearly 70% of likely voters are “very concerned” about political violence; almost 90% have at least some concern.
  • Principal public blame for violence is placed on “violent rhetoric” (45%), not firearms or mental health.
  • Remarkably high bipartisan agreement (80%) with the quote:
    "It's long past time for all Americans in the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree..."
  • Reveals shifting attitudes toward capital punishment, with support for execution in egregious cases jumping to over 60% in recent polling.

• Quote:
  "The polling... all kind of stagnated for about two months. But just this week, I feel like America is moving and changing. This horrifying thing with Charlie Kirk, I felt like that murder changed the narrative."
  — Mark Mitchell [23:51]

• Impact of Leftist Online Rhetoric

  • Gruber cites anecdotal evidence of non-political Americans, or even Democrats, being repulsed by public celebrations of Kirk’s death, driving some to reconsider their political allegiances.

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4. Broader Social Context: Political Violence & Rhetoric

• Recent Mass Shooting:

  • Gruber covers the Evergreen High School shooting in Colorado; another sign of the disturbing climate of violence ([29:48-31:24]).

• Guest: Jim Pfaff (President, Conservative Caucus) ([31:24-35:24])

  • Faults Democratic Party leadership for delegitimizing opponents, creating fertile conditions for violence.
  • Warns against systemic dehumanization (e.g., calling opponents “Nazis,” “fascists”) as a precursor to real-world targeting.
  • Stresses the importance of protecting legitimate difference and free speech in a democracy.

• Quote:
  “What you cannot do in a free American republic is shut down opposing ideas. You should never use illegitimate means...”
  — Jim Pfaff [33:52]

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5. IRS Bias & Conservative Grievances

• Ongoing Coverage:

  • Gruber discusses recent revelations (dating back to 2013) of IRS bias against conservative groups ([37:55-41:21]).
  • IRS aide Holly Paz fired for unfair treatment of Republican organizations; the IRS faces accusations of political corruption.
  • Guest Chuck Flint (Alliance for IRS Accountability) argues for a thorough “clean-out” to restore trust.

• Quote:
  “We have to get rid of the rot at the IRS so the public can have confidence... All this political targeting and the bias, it's completely unacceptable.”
  — Chuck Flint [40:41]

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6. Reflections on Charlie Kirk’s Legacy

• Community & Listener Reactions ([44:26-45:45])

  • Many listeners define Kirk's legacy as defending free speech, encouraging faith in public life, and rallying youth to the conservative movement.
  • The general sentiment is that Kirk’s influence will grow posthumously, because attempts to silence him have amplified his message.

• Quote:
  "Charlie’s gonna be bigger in death than he was in life. It’s a terrible price to pay, but I think he will be magnified, and the hard work and the seeds that he planted will sprout and bear fruit."
  — Steve Gruber [46:51]

• Guest: Eric Bolling (RAV Host)

  • Bolling shares his emotional response, skipping grief and jumping straight to anger and determination, believing the opposition will regret targeting Kirk due to the movement it will fuel ([45:45-47:19]).

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Notable Quotes and Timestamps

• Steve Gruber [03:48]:
  "Political violence has no place in this country. Most of us know that. But the left, well, seems to be a bit of a different story."

• Stephen Rogers [07:58]:
  "These are sick people, Steve. ... Their friends, their neighbors...should be on the phone right now making a telephone call..."

• Mark Mitchell [23:51]:
  "The polling...all kind of stagnated for about two months. But just this week, I feel like America is moving and changing. This horrifying thing with Charlie Kirk...changed the narrative."

• Chris Pihota [18:43]:
  "You can safely assume at this point that he leans more toward the extreme left or Marxist or communist ideologies..."

• Jim Pfaff [33:52]:
  "What you cannot do in a free American republic is shut down opposing ideas. You should never use illegitimate means..."

• Chuck Flint [40:41]:
  "We have to get rid of the rot at the IRS so the public can have confidence...All this political targeting and the bias, it's completely unacceptable."

• Steve Gruber [46:51]:
  "Charlie’s gonna be bigger in death than he was in life. ...the seeds that he planted will sprout and bear fruit."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:35–03:48]: Arrest update on Tyler Robinson, suspect in Kirk’s assassination—details and law enforcement response.
• [04:04–13:22]: Interview with Stephen Rogers on political violence, media responsibility, and calls for faith-based leadership.
• [15:19–22:52]: FBI’s Chris Pihota discusses the investigation, ideological motivations, and national risks.
• [22:54–29:48]: Rasmussen’s Mark Mitchell unveils new polling on political violence, public sentiment, and changing attitudes.
• [31:24–35:24]: Jim Pfaff on historical context for the current political rhetoric and its impact.
• [37:55–41:21]: Chuck Flint addresses IRS bias and the need for governmental integrity.
• [44:26–45:45]: Listener feedback on Charlie Kirk’s legacy.
• [45:45–47:19]: Eric Bolling reflects on collective grief and anger post-assassination.

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Conclusion & Takeaways

This episode presents a raw, unfiltered look at the right-of-center reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, highlighting both fear and hope for the nation's future. The central arguments revolve around the need for healing, spiritual renewal, exposure of political corruption, and reclaiming the American tradition of respectful, robust debate. Deeply woven into the discussion are themes of forgiveness, the dangers of dehumanizing rhetoric, and the powerful—sometimes unintended—consequences of political violence.

Listeners are challenged to remember Charlie Kirk not as a defeated voice, but as a catalyzing force whose message has only grown louder, with a broad call to maintain faith, stand strong, and unite around shared values.

Transcript

[Steve Gur]

This is an I Heart podcast. We love you. This is America's Voice Live. And welcome to America's Voice Live. I'm Steve Gur. The pulse of the people. We need somebody that's going to hear the people's voice, the truth the main stream won't touch. This guy is by definition a globalist. And the stories that matter. Rav's own Ben Buram.

[Unidentified Supporter 1]

Right up over this hill cartel.

[Unidentified Supporter 2]

I see him.

[Steve Gur]

I see him. I see him live. Breaking news right now here on Real America's Voice. Filtered. These people are domestic terrorists and unapologetic. We're here to take a stand for God and country. Does feel good. America's Voice Live starts now. All right. Welcome to America's Voice Live. I'm Steve Grew. And Today is Friday 12th September, in the year of our Lord 2025. Let's go to today's top stories. As always, thank you for joining me here on Real America's Voice. We truly appreciate it through a difficult week. No doubt it's been a rough few days, not only for us here at Real America's Voice and for Charlie Kirk's family, but for the nation as a whole as we continue to mourn the loss of a great American patriot and a man of God. I'll be discussing updates on the investigation today as well as any live updates we receive through the hour here. Also, in the midst of political violence, another school shooting was reported Wednesday at Evergreen High School in Colorado. Left two students hospitalized. We'll have the latest on that in the shooter and then later. Republicans continue to face criticism and ridicule from the irs, this time for showing unfair bias toward conservative organizations trying to file for tax exempt status. Details on those stories coming up. But first, I want to circle back to the assassination of my friend and colleague here at Real America's Voice, Charlie Kirk. Earlier today, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, along with FBI Director Cash Patel and other officials announced that a suspect in the assassination had been arrested. It happened last night. It comes after President Trump made an announcement on Fox earlier this morning. 22 year old Tyler Robinson, identified as the shooter, taken into custody last night after a family member contacted a family friend who then told authorities that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the crime. Authorities tied him to the crime through a review of online messages, interviews with his family members and friends, and surveillance video as well. More chilling details on the case were also reported. The inscription on one of the recovered casings said notices bulges. Owo, what's this? There were also Inscriptions on three recovered unfired casings with one saying hey, fascist catch, followed by an up arrow symbol, a right arrow symbol and three down arrow symbols. The case still under investigation, but Utah Governor Spencer Cox did say before the arrest that officials will pursue the death penalty. The governor also explained that Tyler had reportedly said that Charlie Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate. Look at this.

[Investigator]

Investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson who stated that Robinson had become more political in recent years. The family member referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to September 10th. And in the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to uvu. They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate. The family member also confirmed Robinson had a gray Dodge Challenger.

[Steve Gur]

Political violence has no place in this country. Most of us know that. But the left, well, seems to be a bit of a different story. Join now to discuss where we go from Here is retired U.S. navy intel officer and former police lieutenant Stephen Rogers. Lieutenant, thank you for being here.

[Stephen Rogers]

Thank you, Steve.

[Steve Gur]

Let's talk through this a little bit. Let's talk through this a little bit and kind of figure out where this all came. I've seen more recent pictures and online, of course, all the expected comments from those on the left. He's a white guy, he's straight, he's conservative, he's a Trump supporter. None of that's true except that he is a white guy. More recent pictures show him in garb that would indicate that he is left of center. Of course, we heard the governor of Utah say he believed that Charlie Kirk was spreading hate and was full of hate. He had that conversation at the dinner table, apparently in their parents home. So we have some indications this is not a conservative individual. This is another leftist. And I would ask you, in this day and age, it seems to me that those white liberals are some of the most dangerous people out there. Am I wrong?

[Stephen Rogers]

Steve? You're right. This guy is a cold blooded killer, period. I believe that. I'd love to see the government, Steve, charge him with terrorism. Why? Because that will ensure a intervention or at least the engagement of the federal government. Without question, this guy terrorized the entire nation, let alone what he did there on that particular horrific day. But the problem we have, Steve, is we have a lot of people in government, in office that are adding fuel to the fires. They're eating fuel to the fires of racism. Conservatives are under attack. Christians are under attack. I've Never seen anything like this in my lifetime. Where particular individuals and you know, Steve, we don't hear much about this on the mainstream media, do we? When you've got Christians, you got Jews, you've got people who love this country and who love God are under attack. And unfortunately, when you have leaders in this country, so called leaders who are members of Congress, who are governors, who are local officials spewing out the garbage that they're spewing out, they're going to cause someone like this killer to go over the edge and to do something as horrific as he did a couple days ago.

[Steve Gur]

You know, Lieutenant, with that, I want to. I want to share a video with the audience today. It's a compilation put together. Some of those things you're talking about, the talking points put out there by the left every single day as they try to say it's Republicans that are divisive. This is. I'm watching Jasmine Crockett here a moment ago saying this is about white supremacy. I mean, the idiocy of the things they'll say shows no bounds. There's no depth to their depravity. Listen to this. Charlie Kirk just got shot in the net. Hey, O. He had it coming. He only had himself to bl. Charlie Kirk got shot and he's dead. Finally. Finally. Thank you. Can we keep this up?

[Unidentified Supporter 1]

Shot right in the voice box.

[Unidentified Supporter 2]

I might be 1% less atheist today.

[Steve Gur]

I don't care that he was a person. He wasn't to me. He was a me. I think he's better off gone. So be it. This is so bad. This is so bad. Shut the up. Thoughts and prayers rest in smoke.

[Unidentified Supporter 2]

Charlie Kirk popped for talking outside of his neck. Whoop de do.

[Steve Gur]

I apologize for the language, but in order to understand the depth of the depravity, we had to. We had to show it to you. Colonel. Lieutenant. Excuse me. And you know, and I look at that. These are people celebrating the assassination of a guy who was guilty of what, Having a different opinion. Who was guilty of having conversations on college campuses to try to change people's minds. And he was really good at it. That's why they're celebrating your thoughts after hearing that.

[Stephen Rogers]

These are sick people, Steve. They have nothing to do with numbers. Nothing. They're not white supremacists. They're just sick people. And these are the people, unfortunately, that we are getting warning signs from. And their friends, their neighbors, at least some of the people there around that are sane should be on the phone right now making a telephone call and saying, look I've got a friend, I've got a neighbor. I know someone going off the edge. You need to check them. You see something, say something. Well, we just saw there. I hope people who know who these people are begin to say something. And I'll tell you, Steve, what disturbs me many, many times when we're doing some newscasts about these stories, we always go back online and we find out that these individuals who are doing the killings have given us a lot of clues, have given us a lot of doors to open. No one said anything until after blood was shed. It's about time people begin to say what needs to be said before blood is shed. And look at, look at what we're seeing right there. I mean, somebody has to know these people, and they ought to make that phone call and get the police involved.

[Steve Gur]

Yeah. What can we do here about this kind of violence? We've seen it. And look, I'm going to be fair about this. We saw it in Minnesota here recently when Democratic lawmakers were targeted and killed. We've seen two attempts on the president's life. One where he was shot in Butler, of course, last year, one more recently, and then that man is on trial. Now. We've seen this sort of violence, and I don't think that this murder of Charlie Kirk is going to slow things down. In fact, it concerns me that it's going to get even worse. Where do we go from here, Lieutenant, if we can't find common ground and stop killing each other? I mean, it feels like we're back to the 1960s in some ways.

[Stephen Rogers]

Well, Steve, I've urged a lot of people on a lot of news broadcasts I've been on, on the past few days, to not depend on politicians, not to depend on the political leaders. But maybe it's time for our clergy across this country, the priests, the ministers, the rabbis, those faith leaders, to step up and to use that sword. You know, the word of God is known as the sword of the spirit. These men and women involved in the faith leadership organizations, they could do a lot of good. And they need to get our country back. They're the ones, I really believe that could get our country back or at least begin to get our country back on a spiritual foundation that we had when this nation was founded, at least all the way up until the 60s. Until that time, things began to go to hell in a handbasket. But doesn't mean we could bring it back. Ronald Reagan brought it back. I believe Donald Trump is on the right track, but we got to keep the politicians out of these situations as much as we could. And the people that need to step up and lead, I truly believe, are those who have that word in their heart, their souls, and their spirits. They could reach the people and they could reach them with the truth, because the truth is coming from God's word, not from some political agenda.

[Steve Gur]

What do you think Charlie Kirk would want? He said time and again, the most powerful weapon in your arsenal is forgiveness. Do you think people have power to forgive this? This twisted, misguided, hateful individual who thought had convinced himself that somehow killing Charlie Kirk would be good, would help the world. You know what he's done, Lieutenant? He's made Charlie Kirk ten times bigger. He's more powerful in death, in messaging, than he was in life. It's a terrible price to pay. But more people saw Charlie Kirk yesterday and heard him speak yesterday from tapes and posts, and they went and found out. More people heard Charlie Kirk talk about the gospel, about Jesus Christ, about politics, about the Constitution, than they ever heard on any given day of his life. He's made him more powerful. If he thought he was going to silence the rising of the Christian conservative youth in this country, I think he was sadly mistaken. I give you the last word.

[Stephen Rogers]

Well, we can do a lot in tribute to Charlie Kirk. And I think one of the first things and simplest things we could do is let's blanket this country, every neighborhood, with American flags. Let's put all glory out in honor of this man who loved this country and who loved God and died serving his country. And let's begin to talk about prayer at the dinner table. Let's begin to talk about prayer with our neighbors. It's something we could return to. So, Steve, that's what Charlie would want us to do with regard to forgiveness? Yep, we have to forgive. It's tough, but we don't forget. And I keep telling people Jesus forgave those two men on the cross with him, but he made it clear that there was going to be a penalty served, and that was served at the crucifixion. But we need. We need to leave that to God. We are not a conservative movement of. Of people who believe in vengeance and violence. We believe in doing things within the Constitution of the United States, the things that the Lord would want us to do. And that's exactly the guide that Charlie would want us to. To use.

[Steve Gur]

Yeah, forgiveness. Tough for a lot of folks. It's been a very difficult two days, just over now. For many of us, the emotions run high. The pain, the anger is real. I Think we have to pay attention. Lieutenant, I really appreciate you being here to sort it out. Well, thank you.

[Stephen Rogers]

Thank you for the work you're doing. God bless you, my friend.

[Steve Gur]

Thank you. Thank you, Steve Rogers. Look, it's been a tough week. What would Charlie do? It's a fair question to ask, don't you? Coming up after the break, I'll continue diving into the investigation of the assassination of our friend and colleague here at Real America's Voice, Charlie Kirk. Details straight ahead.

[Unidentified Supporter 1]

I talk to a lot of young people on campuses at our events on my radio show, podcast and social media said differently. I visit college campuses so you don't have to. We're talking to so many voters that know it is time for change. They know that something is wrong. America's future is a series of choices. Our current state of slow motion national decline is a choice. Today is our two year old's birthday and I look at my daughter and that is my why. For those that are parents, you know exactly what I mean.

[Steve Gur]

There is no mountain that stands tall.

[Unidentified Supporter 2]

As your faithfulness and there's nothing else I'll ever need.

[Steve Gur]

All my days, your mercy, follow me.

[Unidentified Supporter 1]

If the people want it, the people get it. And we the people take back America. God bless Arizona and thank you so much.

[Steve Gur]

As details around the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk. If the details emerge, we want to go ahead and continue our continuous coverage on this as well as remembering the life of our friend. Join out to discuss where we go from here is a retired FBI executive assistant director, Chris Pihota. Chris, nice to have you here. Let's talk about the law enforcement efforts here. My understanding is, and it's not confirmed, but it seems that the, the killer, his father was in law enforcement from what I read, retired after almost 30 years as a county sheriff, took him in and the way it sounded to me restrained him at the house until the police could arrive or the FBI could arrive. What do you make of the investigation? What do you take from what you've heard today from the news conference with the governor and others?

[Chris Pihota]

Well, first of all, again, deepest sympathy and condolences for the, you know, Charlie Kirk's wife, children, family, friends. From what I saw, the FBI and its law enforcement partners did a remarkable job in assembling information, working with the public and ultimately with the shooter's family members to remove him from the public and take him into custody, minimizing any further danger. I think that the law enforcement authorities did, did a great job and we'll see where the prosecution and the Legal strategy goes from here.

[Steve Gur]

Would you expect? Look, you've been involved with cases. I assume that in the course of your time, you're involved with capital cases. This is one Utah uniquely offers the firing squad, interestingly enough, as an option for the death penalty, which is being pursued, we're told by the governor. But federal charges are also possible. And with Pam Bondi back in the Attorney General seat, the death penalty is available from federal prosecution as well. Am I right about that?

[Chris Pihota]

Depends on the circumstances from a federal perspective. Depends on the venue, the victims, the circumstances, it can become a federal issue. But generally murder charges are prosecuted at the state level. And that's why I think the Department of Justice and the state of Utah authorities are probably working on that legal strategy right now.

[Steve Gur]

This clearly was a political execution, clearly an assassination, because, well, the governor told us they spoke to members of the shooter's family, of the killer's family, who said he believed that Charlie Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate. The messages etched onto the sides of the bullets, oh, bella, ciao, bella, ciao. Slogan of an anti fascist song made famous in Italy after World War II. And then, hey, fascist, catch. And so much more. Other pictures show the killer with trans flags on his backpack. I'll call it. It's pretty clear, despite what the left would try to have you believe in gaslighting us, there's the picture I'm talking about. You can see the flags. Besides what the left is trying to do in gaslighting people, this was no conservative, this is no Trump supporter. In fact, he has no political affiliation at all. But we can see quite clearly he has a political affiliation and a narrative, doesn't he?

[Chris Pihota]

Well, I think you can safely assume at this point that he leans more toward the extreme left or Marxist or communist ideologies. And I think that our society is utterly divided right now on an ideological and political basis. And I think what we're going to see is that somehow this individual, through online channels or interpersonal channels, was radicalized, moved into that extreme left position and felt as though there was a triggering situation or circumstance that moved him toward an act of violence against Charlie Kirk. So I think the investigative effort will ferret out those details. And also I think the FBI will probably bring in its behavioral analysis program to build a psychological profile of the shooter so they can further look at people in that type of, I guess you can say emotional distress or ideological distress so that we can possibly prevent these types of acts of violence in the future.

[Steve Gur]

Can we? Are we at a point of no Return here, Chris, or can we. Can. Do you think we can get to a point where we can accommodate free speech again? Charlie Kirk was shot for being an American. Charlie Kirk was shot because he had an unpopular point of view. To the killer and to many people. We've all seen the. The young man cheering after Charlie's gunned down. He's about three or four rows back there at the venue, and the camera comes over him. He's cheering wildly because Charlie has been shot and killed. I mean, frankly, Chris, what the hell's wrong with people?

[Chris Pihota]

I think a certain part of our society has a diseased thought process. They have a diseased ideology. And again, they move through that. Again, extreme Marxism, communism, whatever you want to call it, extreme leftism. And I think we need a reconciliation in the country where we have to look at what's good for the American people, not what's good for the left or the right. I think we are recoverable as a society, but I think we have our toes on the edge right now, and I think we have to take a step back, start treating each other with a little bit more courtesy and respect. And people like Charlie Kirk and whoever succeeds him, we have to proceed with. We have to be strong and of good courage to move forward.

[Steve Gur]

We do need to have courage and strength and resilience and steadfastness. I hope you're right. I hope that we can bring ourselves back from the edge. One last question, because some people believe that if we don't come back from this precipice, we're on the verge of a civil war and it's being fueled. And one other thing I'd like to bring up to people today, bots from China and Russia are on these social media platforms agitating for more violence and their bots. And it's pretty. It's pretty well identified. We need to be very careful right now, Chris. Very careful. I'll give you the last word.

[Chris Pihota]

Well, we've become a society that's easily influenced by, and you can say moved by social media trends and social media content. And I think what we have to do is get back to a dialogue among the American people. Stay out of the social media channels, which have become basically their propaganda sewers. And I think that one last thing I'll say is that I think from our governing officials and our elected leaders, we need a more unifying message. Let's get out of the gutter when it comes to what's good for the American people and what's good for our nation. And let's get some leadership as opposed to partisanship. And I think we can. I think if we move in that direction, things will improve. And I'm willing to help anywhere I can. And I know many people are. And that's what I'm looking for.

[Steve Gur]

Chris, really appreciate you being here today. Wise words, wise words. Thank you.

[Chris Pihota]

Thank you, sir. Pleasure.

[Steve Gur]

All right. Pleasure. After the break, I'll bring on the head of polling that is from Rasmussen to continue the conversation of the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the issue of political violence in America. What is he hearing when he talks to people about where we are? We're right back continuing the conversation of this horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk. I'd like to go ahead and bring on Mark Mitchell, the head pollster at Rasmussen Reports. Mark, nice to see you today. Look, you've got a lot of fresh polling right in front of you that just came up as we were sitting here chatting, waiting to come on. So why don't we dig into that because then I've got a question for you and I want to ask you. Been polling it, but welcome back to the program. You've been polling for the last couple of days on this. What's the latest?

[Unidentified Supporter 2]

Well, what a week. And I'll tell you what, the polling is all kind of stagnated for about two months. But just this week, I feel like America is moving and changing. This horrifying thing with Charlie Kirk, I felt like that murder down in Charlotte was a really big deal, the way that it changed the narrative and how people discuss things on Twitter. We've gotten to a place where the dialog is just completely different than you would have even expected a week ago. There are people talking about, we even saw Fox News talking about per capita black crime, violent crime statistics. So America is changing very rapidly. And then this whole thing happens. And so there's been very limited polling that we've had since this has gone on. We have two nights of new overnight data. And I can tell you that President Donald Trump's job approval rating has not changed. It's holding up. It's minus three points right now. But what has happened is right direction polling has dropped 3 points just in two days, driven by Republicans plunging 6 points and independents by 5. Democrats are the same. Now, people could say, oh, what does that mean? Oh, we're not happy with Trump. No, this is people's, I think this is a visceral, visceral reaction to the state of America. And we've been, as you know, following right there direction for a very long Time because it set records coming into Trump's second term. It's been mid-40s this entire time. So for it to drop down close to 40 immediately with only two out of the five nights, I think this is a big movement. I think this is a gut check for America. Now we also have the first night back of a three night set of Charlie Kirk polling. It could change a little. It'll probably change a few points. But just directionally speaking, the numbers are stunning. We have nearly 70% of American likely voters being very concerned about political violence in America. Another 20 couple percent somewhat. That number's almost 90%. Then we have how concerned are you that there will be more political killings in the next couple of months? 50% roughly. Very concerned or very likely. Another 34% somewhat. So we're in the mid-80s there. It just keeps going on and on. What's to blame for this? Is it access to firearms? Is it access to mental health? Nope. The plurality answer is 45%. This is because of the violent rhetoric. That's the number one answer. Only 30% say access to firearms. And then this final one, this is. Do you agree or disagree with this quote? I think it's a Donald Trump quote. It's long past time for all Americans in the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible. 50% strongly agree. Roughly 30%, somewhat 80%. You know as well as I do from following polling that you don't get 80% numbers. So America, despite.

[Steve Gur]

Jump in there. So that was a Donald Trump quote.

[Unidentified Supporter 2]

I think it was. Yeah. Don't quote me on that. But, but I mean, strong language. People do not like the idea of political violence. So the problem is, is that what we're seeing now is all of these ghoulish, demonic human beings on Twitter celebrating this.

[Steve Gur]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unidentified Supporter 2]

On TikTok celebrating this.

[Steve Gur]

Let me ask you about that because here's what we've been watching for the last 48 hours or more in this office, in this studio, and in coordination with all the folks across the RAV universe. And that is a large number of people posting going, I don't know who these people are that are celebrating. I can't be associated with that. I'm not really political. I'm going to go to the right. I'm going to go to the right. I'm going to leave the Democrat Party. I've seen post after post after Post white people, black people, it doesn't matter who you are. Big, tall, fat, small, doesn't matter. They're like, I want nothing to do with these people celebrating and dancing on the grave of Charlie Kirk. They're completely offended by it and repulsed by it. Is there any polling on that?

[Unidentified Supporter 2]

Well, I mean, with the numbers that we got there with 80% of people agreeing with that statement about not wanting political violence, I'm sure there's a majority of Democrats, too, are probably going to see a number in the 60s or 70s. Now, there is the uncomfortable truth that there's about 20 to 5 to 30% of this country that is probably just gone. And it's not all Democrats. It's a lot of independents and some Republicans. It's a lot of younger voters. But we've seen this before in other questions when we asked, is it understandable that Luigi Mangione executed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare based on the high cost of. And it was 28%. 28%. That's a lot of people, but it's not all the Democrats. Now, we don't have any more Charlie Kirk pulling back, but we do have this one. Really. We did a snap poll on Arena Zarutska after people. I mean, because let's not forget the fact that three days ago we did not have a White Lives Matter movement in America. And we do. And so I think people's opinions are changing very fast. And there's a lot in this poll. But the one number I want to point out is that we've been polling on capital punishment. And five years ago, only 49% wanted executions in America, 36% didn't do the math. That's net + 13. Now, we asked in this particular situation that if convicted, should Carlos Brown be executed? 60% yes, 20 no. So it's moved 27 points towards execution. And of the people now, a lot of those people haven't even seen the picture or heard about the story. But of the people that saw the photo of the killer on the train, 73 to 14, including a lot of Democrats, want this to happen. Literally a majority of every demographic, a plurality of Democrats, 48% to 28%, want this guy executed. Even people who say that our country is too soft on crime by a plurality, want this guy executed. I think that that represents plus the change in right direction number. The beginning of a move.

[Steve Gur]

Big change.

[Unidentified Supporter 2]

Justice. Yes.

[Steve Gur]

Yeah, Mark, I gotta leave it there. A lot of great information. Thank you for sharing all those fresh numbers with us. Brand new here on America's voice live, Mark Mitchell from Rasmussen, thank you. Coming up after the break, another shooting reported, this time in Colorado at an Evergreen high school. He got lost in the confusion. We'll have details coming up. All right. We continue now, Evergreen, Colorado, also in turmoil as an active shooter ravaged the hallways and targeted students at Evergreen High School. Happened the same day of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The Jefferson county sheriff accounts that first responders were deployed to Evergreen after reports of an active assailant were called. Further developments confirmed that one student remains in critical condition, one discharged from the hospital, the shooter dying from a self inflicted wound. From this to the murder of Irina Zarutska, as well as the assassination of Charlie Kirk, crime is an issue along with political violence from the left. As we just heard From Mark Mitchell, 80% or 90%, I guess, opposed to it. Many more think that it's going to continue. Join me to discuss. This is the president of the Conservative Caucus, Jim Pfaff. Jim, nice to have you here. Sadly, I think we've crossed into a place where we've crossed into a place where political violence may not be acceptable to the vast majority, but it's not a surprise to the vast majority anymore either. And that's a bit of a sad place to be today, isn't it?

[Jim Pfaff]

Yeah, it really is. And listen, I don't know that it's prudent to blame people on the left for this directly but indirectly. And I was just reviewing some stuff today, that constant strain of Trump's a fascist and the hateful rhetoric and really going back into the Biden administration where you've got an entire censorship industrial complex that was built up that thankfully was broken both when Elon Musk bought Twitter and now into the Trump administration. But the reality is that the Democrat Party in my estimation is not an American party. They really do and have. And when I say Democrat Party, I don't mean all the voters. I mean Trump got a lot of, of Democrat voters last year. But what I'm talking about, the people that are elected officials and the leaders in that party, they have invested themselves in delegitimizing their political opponents to very scary levels. And I look at what's going on in Brazil this just yesterday and you see that there's a, you know, they wanted, they Jair Bolsonaro was thrown into prison. They wanted to throw Donald Trump into prison. Democrats are very serious about not just shutting down their political opponents, but eliminating them politically wherever they can using illegitimate means that leads to violence potentially.

[Steve Gur]

In all these violence, I played A montage here earlier of the rhetoric, of the vile rhetoric of people celebrating online the assassination of Charlie Kirk. And let me tell you something about that. I've seen it over and over again. People are repulsed by it. Right? People are repulsed by it. I do have a bit of news here that just popped up and we're going to be watching this. An evacuation potentially underway as police are scrambling to clear out the neighborhood around Charlie Kirk's. Around the killer's home or the suspected killer, if you will. Police president having there. It's happened in the last 15 or 20 minutes. We'll keep an eye on that. But the vile rhetoric, it begins with labeling somebody, Jim. They're a Nazi, they're a white supremacist, they're a fascist. It starts with labeling people because then you dehumanize them. If you dehumanize them, then they just become a target. And that's what we saw on Wednesday.

[Jim Pfaff]

Right, I entirely agree with you. And you know, the real key to how this sort of problem didn't develop in the 80s and 90s is more related to the fact that we didn't do so much of that labeling. We just had differences of opinion. I don't think that what we want is unanimity and bipartisanship. I think that's an illegitimate approach to take in a society where you're gonna have people with differences of opinion. What you cannot do in a free American republic is shut down opposing ideas. You should never use illegitimate means. We've had problems with how we do our elections right now, which I agree with Donald Trump need to go to same day paper elections, get rid of early voting and unsolicited mail ballots. But when you work, kind of twist the system to benefit you, as they've done entirely in California, by the way, Republicans are useless in California anymore. Then what you cause is something that is greatly harmful. It's very third Worldy. I mean, the Democrat party, again, I just repeat, I don't think they're not an American party. They delegitimize their opponents if they can.

[Steve Gur]

Can. That's right, dehumanize them and take away the humanity. And that's why they dance on the grave of Charlie Kirk. You know, after only a few minutes, Jim got run. Greatly appreciate you being here. Thank you.

[Jim Pfaff]

Thanks. Good to see you.

[Steve Gur]

Steve, if. We'll see you soon. If you're stressed about back taxes, maybe you missed the deadline or your books are just trashed. Well, the IRS cracking down, penalties add up fast. 5% a month, 25% if you just don't file. But there is help. Tax Network USA could take the burden off your shoulders. Stop the spiral before it gets worse. They've helped thousands of Americans. Whether you're an employee, a small business owner or haven't filed in years, it doesn't matter. No problem. They've seen it all and know exactly how to get it cleaned up. With direct access to powerful IRS programs and expert negotiators on your side, Tax Network USA knows how to win. You'll get a free consultation, and if you qualify, they may even you have to reduce or eliminate what you owe. More importantly, they'll help protect you from wage garnishments or bank levies. So don't wait for the next IRS letter. Please don't do that. Call 800-905-8000 or visit tnusa.com rab to talk to a real expert at Tax Network USA. Take the pressure off. Let Tax Network USA handle your tax issues. It is the right thing to do. And you'll finally get some sleep tonight. All right. Coming up after the break, Republicans continue to face criticism and ridicule from the irs, this time for showing unfair bias toward conservative organizations trying to file for tax exempt status. Again, more on this coming up. Well, there is other news. Believe it or not, the IRS is an institution all Americans have to deal with begrudgingly and we all seemingly get a fair shake. But sometimes things are not all they seem to be as Republicans seen evades the IRS wrath more often than not. But just recently, an IRS aide made by the name of Holly Paz, fired due to an internal investigation that found her showing unfair bias against Republican organizations when they tried to file for tax exempt status back in 2013. Institutions like the IRS should meet the benchmark of neutrality, but that fact goes out the window as some people, including top IRS officials, will go to extreme lengths to defend this blatant and biased treatment against conservatives. And they get a lot of trouble for it. Here with me to discuss is the CEO for the alliance for IRS Accountability, Chuck Flint. Chuck, nice to have you here. Look, the IRS targeted people intentionally. The government using the weight of its ability to say no, boom, just reject it. Right. And these organizations were left in limbo, some of them for years, some of them never approved. Right?

[Chuck Flint]

That's exactly right. And all that I did was make comments. I was interviewed about it and said that those individuals, such as Holly Paz, were unfit for government service, that they placed a cloud over the irs. And I had a high ranking official from the IRS go Right. To my personal social media page on LinkedIn and also my companies and accused me of fear mongering, saying that this was all a farce in what was clearly an attempt to just harass us and, you know, and intimidate our organization from. From doing what we're doing, which is exposing abuses at the IRS and helping individual taxpayers.

[Steve Gur]

Yeah, how the, how the. How are these people allowed to stay there? This. This goes back to 2013, 12 years back. Right. And we knew this was going on during the Obama years. We heard account after account of this. Right, Chuck? I mean, this is not new, but how is it still going on? How are these people still in their jobs? Because this is not the only one. Call me a little bit jaded, but I'm gonna guess she's not the only one.

[Chuck Flint]

She's not the only one. And there are a lot more of them that are probably still over there that just, you know, haven't. Haven't been located. And I'll say that I think some of it has to do with the unions. Some of it has to do with just a lack of focus on the IRS and how important it is. Steve, people forget that the IRS holds one of the singular greatest powers in the federal government outside of the ability to incarcerate, and that's the ability to audit people. And it'll make the hair on the back of people's necks stand up every time they get a letter from the irs. But honestly, I would really just like to thank this woman for showing everybody why it's so necessary that groups like the alliance for IRS Accountability exist because the work is important and the IRS needs to be exposed.

[Steve Gur]

The IRS does need to be exposed. Look, I hate paying taxes. I think everybody does. I got audited about 10 years ago. An audit, by the way, that when it was done, they owed me money because it was just compliance audit. I was told it was a random thing. I don't believe that it was random, but that's what I was told. Anyhow, when you go in front of the irs, they have all the power. You, the taxpayer, have basically none unless you've got a whole army of lawyers. I don't needs to be fair. It's got to be a fair and level playing field. Chuck, I'll give you the last word here, but it's imperative that we clean out this. This corruption. I don't know what else you would call it. It's political corruption impacting nonprofits. Last word to you.

[Chuck Flint]

It is, Steve. And it's the appearance that matters more than anything else. We have to get rid of the rot at the IRS so the public can have confidence that when they get approached by the IRS or they have an interaction that they're being treated fairly. And that's the only way that this is acceptable to get rid of and to end. That's. That has to be the goal. And that's where we need to be with the irs. All this political targeting and the bias, it's completely unacceptable. It's been unacceptable for years. And that's why we exist, is to focus on this.

[Steve Gur]

Yeah. Greatly appreciate you being here, Chuck. Thank you.

[Chuck Flint]

Thanks, Steve.

[Steve Gur]

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[Chris Pihota]

High on that list.

[Steve Gur]

Here's your question of the day. What should the legacy of Charlie Kirk be? Home Helper is the voice of the youth generation. That's a good answer. Line 3317. This generation needs to pick up the mantle with no fear and run with it. Engin says to follow the way, to know the truth, to live the life of Jesus, our Redeemer, the Son of God, the Father, who with the Holy Spirit comprised the Holy Trinity. Freedom always, writes a man of faith who brought dialogue of common sense instead of advocating for violence. A political activist who helped kids see God. Family and country is America's future. Great answers today. My friends, really appreciate you being here and spending time with us. Watching breaking news. An ICE officer severely injured during a traffic stop in which an illegal tried to run him over. He was shot and killed. We're also seeing a lot of information come in from the neighborhood where this killer lived. Apparently some sort of evacuation going on. Bowling coming in now. We're not evacuating him. We're airlifting him into the program now to make sure we can continue coverage right here. Eric, nice to see you.

[Bowling]

Good to see you. Steve, again under trying circumstances. Yeah, it's been. Been a rough, rough go around here and I suppose all around the country at the moment, a lot of. A lot of heart pouring out for Charlie.

[Steve Gur]

Yeah, it's been a week. I don't know if you saw. Earlier, I had Mark Mitchell on here from Rasmussen who's become a good friend of me and this network. And he said what I have been seeing online. Maybe you've been seeing this, too. Bowling. A lot of people saying, I'M a Democrat or I'm not particularly political, but I'm seeing these people celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk, and I want nothing to do with that. I mean, people are appalled. Some of these people are dancing and laughing and cheering. And, you know, one guy's got, we shot Charlie in the neck and they singing with a bullhorn. I think this is gonna backfire on those people. I think that Charlie's gonna be bigger in death than he was in life. It's a terrible price to pay, but I think he will be magnified, and his. The hard work and the seeds that he planted will sprout and bear fruit. That's truly what I believe. Bowling.

[Bowling]

Steve, you and I were live on the air when we had to make the announcement that I know the assassination was a successful assassination killing Charlie Kirk. And, you know, there was a lot of tears for whatever reason. I've been through a lot of trauma myself, Steve, and I kind of skipped the grieving moment and went right to anger. I was just. At that moment, I was. And it still am. And still am. And a lot of people took a minute to pray and do. And I just went right to.

[Stephen Rogers]

They're gonna.

[Bowling]

They're gonna wish they hadn't done this. They did it for a reason. They took Charlie out because of his success.

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[Steve Gur]

This is an I Heart podcast.