Bolling! - September 11th, 2025

Summary

Podcast Summary: Real America’s Voice – Bolling! (September 11, 2025)

Episode Theme:
This somber episode of Real America’s Voice, hosted by Eric, centers on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. The show explores the immediate reaction to the tragedy, its broader political and cultural implications, and features eyewitness testimony from Brandon Russin—a listener and attendee present at the scene. The hosts and guests reflect on the perceived cultural and political divides fueling such violence and openly criticize left-leaning political leaders and media for their responses.

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Main Discussion Points & Structure

1. The Assassination of Charlie Kirk (00:45–15:59)

Breaking the News & Initial Reactions

• Eric reports the shooting:
  "Everybody needs to pray for Charlie Kirk right now. He is a voice of reason out there that has been gunned down for daring to be an American, to tell the truth, to believe in free speech, and to believe in this country." (00:45)

• Confirms Kirk’s death:
  "John Solomon’s reporting on Just The News... He’s passed. Yes. Is this what I’m hearing? Yes... Yes." (01:08)

• Praise and mourning:

  • Emphasis on Kirk’s love for family and country (Mike Benz, 00:59).
  • Guest and host lead prayers for the Kirk family.

• Framing the event:

  • Eric repeatedly calls Kirk a "casualty of the political war going on in this country."
  • "He didn’t hate people. He didn’t even hate liberals. He just hated intolerance... a painful irony that he may have died at the hands of some intolerant person." (Eric, 01:43)

The Media’s Response & Accusations

• Host outrage at TMZ and left-leaning media:

  • Discussion of celebratory reactions: "You can hear cheers and clapping and joy in the background... Just as Harvey Levin announces that President Trump confirmed Charlie Kirk was dead." (Eric, 03:03)
  • Host disputes TMZ’s claim it wasn’t about Kirk, calling Harvey Levin a "pathetic liar."
  • Claims the left “celebrated that murder.”

• Criticism of Democratic Party and mainstream media:

  • Eric: "Democrats have now made it bluntly clear who exactly they are. They’re the party of violence. They’re the party of murder. They’re the party of evil." (04:27)
  • Calls out MSNBC’s Matt Dowd and Katie Tur for insensitive rhetoric and misdirected blame (07:08–08:34).
  • "Scrap the whole operation" regarding MSNBC (08:29).

• FBI manhunt:
  "The FBI is now offering up $100,000, up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual or individuals responsible..." (02:19)

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2. Political Framing and Escalation of Rhetoric (09:40–15:59)

Blame and Broader Accusations

• Continued blaming of Democrats:

  • Eric and guests argue that media and Democratic politicians are “inciting violence” against conservatives.
  • Accuse Democrats of “fomenting” violence and deflecting blame onto MAGA and Trump (09:40).
  • Recounts of moments in Congress where Democrats allegedly protested prayers for Kirk, amplifying the divide (10:00–10:50).

• Cultural analysis:

  • Eric reflects on only two moments that "shook" him as an American—9/11 and Kirk's murder, drawing a stark parallel (14:13).
  • Calls Kirk’s assassination a “line in the sand" and an era-defining moment.

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3. Eyewitness Interview: Brandon Russin (16:45–27:13)

Key Testimony
Eric interviews Brandon Russin, a former Utah Valley University student and attendee, who stood 15 feet in front of Charlie Kirk at the time of the shooting.

The Scene and the Shooting

• Setting the scene:

  • "I was directly in front of Charlie's tent, approximately 15ft in front of him when the shot occurred." (Brandon Russin, 16:45)
  • Describes the crowd as large and the day as "beautiful, gorgeous." He admits being momentarily concerned about the venue's openness but felt reassured by Utah’s conservative environment.

• The moment of the shot:

  • "I replayed it in my head all day and all night. I couldn't sleep. I can't eat. It is a haunting image that will haunt me for the rest of my life." (18:15)
  • Describes Kirk slumping over instantly as fatal, and the crowd dropping for cover. "I knew that Charlie had been shot... it looked like that shot would be fatal." (18:15)
  • Russin immediately texts his wife to say goodbye, fearing more shots might follow.

The Aftermath & Suspicious Behavior

• Description of a suspicious individual:
  "I don't know if you've seen the video... of a guy who was in the middle of that standing crowd close to the tent. He was the only one still standing up, and he was pumping his fists in the air and shouting and yelling." (21:27)

  • Suggests the man might have been celebrating Kirk’s death, and possibly knew the shooter or was looking toward the shooter's vantage point.

• Atmosphere among protesters:
  "Some of the liberal protesters there, some of the students there just laughing and jeering... celebrating the death of this beloved man." (25:39)

• Personal impact:
  Russin says talking about it has been grounding and traumatic: "I think I can now tell myself this is not a nightmare. This is reality. And all I can do now is move forward." (26:24)

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4. Broader Impact & Movement Analysis (27:13–32:19)

Mike Benz Reflects on Kirk’s Legacy

• Kirk as an institution builder:
  "Charlie was a force of nature. I would not be here without Charlie. I don’t think we as a movement, as a cause would be here without Charlie. He was a child prodigy in this, with a very unique set of gifts that you almost never see..." (Mike Benz, 27:42)

• Turning Point USA’s Success:

  • "There was a feeling... about the way they wanted the direction of this country to go in. But what really makes a cause or a movement durable is the construction of institutions. And there were no MAGA institutions until this kid, this 18-year-old kid, Charlie, shows up and he builds not just any institution..." (27:42)
  • "He had to always find a way to bridge them together in order to keep them unified as a cohesive, unified force." (30:22)

• Impact of the loss:
  "We just lost our best one to a cold blooded, gruesome grizzly. Broad day, broad daylight execution." (31:22)

• Call for law enforcement:
  "What has to happen at this point has to be an extraordinary message sent from our FBI and law enforcement. An example has to be made." (31:54)

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5. Investigation and Theories (32:19–41:27)

Uncertainty and Conspiracies

• Host/Guest speculate about possible multiple shooters:
  “For this guy to pull off a one shot. Where is he? He gets away. It scares me. It makes me feel like there’s more than one person behind this.” (Eric, 32:19)

• Emerging reports on shooter’s identity:

  • Host references news (Wall Street Journal, Drudge, New York Post) that a shell casing was found engraved with “transgender and anti-fascist ideology.”
  • Mike Benz urges caution:
    "I just want to make sure that I... want a higher degree of certainty before I commit that." (37:40)

• Debate over transgender community and gun rights:

  • Eric expresses a personal opinion advocating investigation into links between the trans community and recent political violence:
    “We need to investigate because there’s probably some sort of link there, in my opinion. Not rev’s, not Mike’s, just Eric’s.” (38:58)
  • Mike Benz: “I want to see those engraved casings posted by the FBI... I want to get it firsthand from Cash Patel and Dan Bongino so that we know that this is actually the truth...” (39:45)

The Narrative of Rhetoric Leading to Violence

• Discussion of progressive rhetoric:
  "As an American, in my life, there have been only two moments where a public event left me shaken... First September 11, 2001... and the second, September 10, 2025..." (Eric, 14:13)

  • Host and Benz argue that Democratic rhetoric—especially comparisons of Trump to Hitler and painting MAGA as Nazis—foments violence against conservatives.

• Discussion of SPLC “target map”:

  • "The SPLC drew a target map with a... basically a bullet site on Charlie's Turning Point USA." (Mike Benz, 42:02)
  • Discussion of normalization of the idea that preventing a “future Hitler” justifies violence.

• Kirk’s future potential:
  “There’s no way Charlie Kirk would not have been a President of the United States at some point in the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years. He was, he was chosen for that... He was the bridge between every element of the MAGA movement, and they shot that bridge in the crux of his neck in broad daylight.” (Mike Benz, 42:54)

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6. Reactions from Politicians and the Media (45:03–50:36)

Criticism of Democratic Leadership and Liberal Media

• Jamie Raskin and AOC:

  • Raskin’s response described as “smirk and a shrug.”
  • AOC criticized for focusing on gun control rather than the tragedy.

• Man on the Street (Don Lemon):

  • Don Lemon asks a passerby about Kirk’s death, who immediately pivots to “we definitely need to have gun control.” (47:52–48:06)

Reflection on Kirk’s Prescient Warning

• Audio from Charlie Kirk (June 2024):

  • Kirk warned of potential assassinations of political leaders. "We have been warning about this for months now." (48:53)
  • Kirk's “Next man up” philosophy: “You take one out, a hundred more appear... It only actually makes us stronger.” (49:37)

• Determination to continue Kirk’s movement.
  "They took Charlie Kirk out, but they didn't take out TPUSA... We will hold the torch. We will continue to follow that." (Eric, 50:00)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |------------|-------|---------| | 00:45 | “Everybody needs to pray for Charlie Kirk right now.” | Eric | | 01:43 | “He didn’t even hate liberals. He just hated intolerance. And it is a painful irony that he may have died at the hands of some intolerant person.” | Eric | | 03:03 | "You can hear cheers and clapping and joy in the background... Just as Harvey Levin announces..." | Eric | | 04:27 | “Democrats have now made it bluntly clear who exactly they are. They’re the party of violence. They’re the party of murder. They’re the party of evil.” | Eric | | 10:00 | "You can hear them protesting. No. In the background as Speaker Johnson tries to maintain order." | Eric | | 14:13 | “There have been only two moments where a public event left me shaken... 1st of September 11, 2001... the second, September 10, 2025...” | Eric | | 18:15 | “It is a haunting image that will haunt me for the rest of my life.” | Brandon Russin | | 21:27 | “He was the only one still standing up, and he was pumping his fists in the air and shouting and yelling.” | Brandon Russin | | 27:42 | “Charlie was a force of nature. I would not be here without Charlie... He was a child prodigy in this…” | Mike Benz | | 31:22 | “We just lost our best one to a cold blooded, gruesome grizzly. Broad day, broad daylight execution.” | Mike Benz | | 39:00 | “I believe that whatever's going on in the trans community, we need to investigate because there's probably some sort of link there, in my opinion. Not revs, not Mike's, just Eric's.” | Eric | | 42:54 | “There's no way Charlie Kirk would not have been a President of the United States at some point... He was the bridge between every element of the MAGA movement and they shot that bridge...” | Mike Benz | | 48:53 | “Assassinations of major political leaders are nothing new... We have been warning about this for months now.” | Charlie Kirk (archival audio) | | 49:37 | “You take one out, a hundred more appear. You take one out, a thousand more appear. You take one out, 10,000 more appear... It only actually makes us stronger.” | Charlie Kirk (archival audio) |

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Critical Segment Timestamps

• 00:45–05:00: Breaking news, immediate reactions, prayer for Kirk, first accusations
• 10:00–13:00: Media reactions, Democratic response, framing Kirk’s death as political violence
• 16:45–27:13: Eyewitness (Brandon Russin) detailed account of the assassination and aftermath
• 27:42–32:19: Mike Benz on Kirk’s legacy and Turning Point USA’s importance
• 32:19–34:47: Shooter speculation, shell casing “trans ideology” reports, skepticism
• 39:00–41:27: Discussion of rhetoric, progressive/far-left online reaction
• 45:03–47:58: Politicians’ responses, gun control debate, Don Lemon segment
• 48:53–50:00: Archival: Charlie Kirk foreshadows assassination, the “Next Man Up” legacy

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Tone & Language

• Passionate, indignant, defiant: Hosts and guests express outrage, sadness, and a sense of betrayal.
• Highly political, sharply critical: Direct attacks on liberals, media, and Democratic politicians, often in stark or absolute terms.
• Emotionally charged: Moments of mourning, anger, and resolute calls to action.

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Summary

This episode documents the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination through the lens of Real America’s Voice. The discussion is raw and emotional, focusing on mourning, the perceived escalation of political violence, blaming the left and liberal media, and the determination to continue Kirk’s legacy. Eyewitness testimony, attempts to identify a suspect, and arch commentary about broader cultural divides characterize the episode throughout.

Transcript

[Mike Benz]

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[Eric]

Everybody needs to pray for Charlie Kirk right now. He is a voice of reason out there that has been gunned down for daring to be an American, to tell the truth, to believe in free speech, and to believe in this country.

[Mike Benz]

Charlie loves his family dearly. He loves his country dearly.

[Unknown Advertiser]

Please pray for the Kirk family.

[Eric]

This is a really devastating thing that happened. We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom, God bless him. He believed strongly that we could solve a lot of our differences with just a good old fashioned a conversation. He was shot for speaking the truth. He was shot for speaking his mind. He was shot for defending the Constitution. John Solomon's reporting on just the news that he. He's passed. Yes. Is this what I'm hearing? Yes. Can I get here? Yes, yes, yes.

[Brandon Russin]

My prayers are for Erica, for her.

[Eric]

Children, for his family. Pray that his, his parents would feel that presence of the Lord that only, only the Lord can feel. We cannot let all the great things that Charlie Kirk did be wasted because of some act of violence. He didn't hate people. He didn't even hate liberals. He just hated intolerance. And it is a painful irony that he may have died at the hands of some intolerant person.

[Brandon Russin]

He was fighting, no, not just for.

[Eric]

His own young children, but for all of our children. When America needed a hero, God sent us a Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk is a casualty of the political war going on in this country. He was gunned down in cold blood. Gunned down in cold blood. And you have to have steely resolved about this. Well, as you know, folks, less than 24 hours ago on this very show, we. We were trying to make sense, trying to make sense of Charlie curse murder. The FBI is now offering up $100,000, up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual or individuals responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk. Call 1-800- call FBI. 1-800- call FBI. You can submit photos, video, ideas, thoughts, anything. Give them anything. FBI.gov Utah Valley shooting FBI.gov Utah Valley shooting. Alrighty. September 10th, yesterday, the day we will never forget, another one of those, right, One of the great evangelists for maga, for conservatives, was murdered, Gunned down, Assassinated, as Bannon said, gunned down in cold blood. Charlie Kirk was the left's worst nightmare. He was a political force. He was strong, smart, positive and convincing. And he was opening young minds. Charlie Kirk was the left's worst nightmare. And so they killed him. And what's worse, they celebrated that murder. When someone shows you who they are, believe them. Democrats have now made it bluntly clear who exactly they are. They're the party of violence. They're the party of murder. They're the party of evil. And they reminded us of that fact yesterday. The late Charlie Kirk once said. Very difficult to say late, but late. Charlie Kirk once said, quoting, you could tell a lot about a person by how they react when someone dies. Now, this is so disgusting. I think it needs to be played over and over again so that people truly understand the level of evil and hate that we're dealing with in America right now. On the left. You're about to watch some of a live feed now. I was watching this live. This is a live feed from the platform tmz, an entertainment platform nonetheless. But listen carefully. You can hear cheers and clapping and joy in the background. Just as Harvey Levin announces that President Trump confirmed Charlie Kirk was dead. Listen carefully to the cheers. The news conference is scheduled for 3:00 and Utah time, which is 2, 2:00 clock Pacific, 5:00 clock Eastern. Janet, go, go, go. To have somebody look at the Fox. Trump just posted that Charlie Kirk is dead. So that was live. Now you can hear the cheering in the background. But then a very pathetic attempt to explain away what is so obvious to the rest of us. Again, a classic leftist. What you heard, folks, you didn't really hear, right? Harvey Levin and tmz. And they were laughing, they were clapping, and you could hear it out here. And we want to make a couple of things clear. One is that I know these people and they were not laughing, they were not reacting that way about Charlie Kirk's assassination. That's a lie. You are a pathetic liar, Harvey Levin. I watched that. You were waiting to see if it was confirmed that he was dead. The uproar happens and immediately they tell You, Trump posted on Truth Social that Charlie Kirk was dead. That is a lie, Harvey. You're going to go to hell for lying like that. Let's be clear. TMZ was forced to apologize because they got caught. The Democrat Party media showed us exactly who they are and what they're made of. Their message was loud and clear yesterday that Charlie Kirk had it coming, that he was asking for this and that this brutal murder was somehow his own fault. And guess what? It got worse and worse throughout the afternoon and into the evening and more horrendous in the minutes before Charlie Kirk even died. Listen, but following up what was just said, he's been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of.

[Mike Benz]

Aimed at certain groups.

[Eric]

And I always go back to hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. Well, Matt Dowd, that was so vile and disgusting that after putting out a statement, MSNBC had no choice but to fire that son of a. Sorry, Matt Dowd. Or maybe this ridiculous comment is why they parted ways with Dowd in which a shooting like this happens. Yeah, and again, I emphasize what you just emphasized. We don't know any full details of this, that we don't know if this was a supporter shooting their gun off.

[Unknown Supporter]

In celebration or so we have no idea.

[Eric]

So, supporter shooting a gun off in celebration. It was a high, high caliber long range rifle. It was a hit. It's probably a coordinated hit, but we don't know that yet anyway, for sure. But we're going to continue to listen. That's not the only prize MSNBC gave us within minutes of Charlie Kirk being shot with this condition still unknown. MSNBC ghoul Katie Tur just couldn't help.

[Brandon Russin]

Herself after one of the Doge employees.

[Eric]

Was allegedly attacked in Washington D.C. that's.

[Mike Benz]

What Donald Trump used as justification to send in federal troops into Washington D.C. to get things under control.

[Eric]

The carjacking situation, he used that.

[Brandon Russin]

And I know it's hard to predict.

[Mike Benz]

The future, Mark, but you can imagine the administration using this as a justification.

[Eric]

For something, using that a young man shot. And that's where her thoughts go. Vile, disgusting. There are no words for garbage like that. I say scrap the whole operation. They've got blood on their hands. Just shut the whole thing down. Msnbc. But no more or less than the dirty politicians who've convinced and condoned this violence for years. They know it, which is why their immediate reaction, of course, was to deflect and blame MAGA for the violence they themselves keep perpetrating. And I think there are people who are fomenting it in this country. I think the President's rhetoric often foments it. We've seen the January 6th rioters who clearly, you know, have tripped a new era of political violence. Kidding me. J.B. pritzker, are you kidding me? Fomented. Got it. Maga's fault, Trump's fault. But wait, there's more.

[Brandon Russin]

Oh, please. Right. Why don't you start with the President of the United States, Right? And every ugly meme he has posted.

[Eric]

And every ugly word. You have no soul, Democrat. You have no heart. No soul. If Pocahontas wants to point out the hatred that that's been created, look no further than the House floor when Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert called for a moment of prayer for someone brutally shot just for his political opinions. Democrat let the world know just how evil they truly are. You can hear them protesting. No. In the background as Speaker Johnson tries to maintain order. But the Democrat party just can't help itself. And the media, they own no. Better listen. No, no. Let's, let's, let's. As expected, New York Times and their carefully curated headlines quote, Charlie Kirk, right wing force and a close Trump ally. Dies, dies, dies at 31. How about murdered? How about assassinated? In fact, we changed the chiron yesterday. I didn't like past. We put up assassinated because that's what it was. Stop it. New York Times. He didn't die at 31. His heart stopped because there's a bullet through his jugular. Why was Charlie Kirk murdered, by the way? How about this right here? Really?

[Brandon Russin]

Over the weekend, Elon Musk, Charlie Kirk, other Trump aligned figures succeeded in making this senseless death a symb symbol of big city crime.

[Unknown Supporter]

Like we're in a. We're, we're in a war right now to save this country. And so you have to be willing to do whatever is necessary in order to save the country.

[Unknown Advertiser]

Violence doesn't come from Democrats.

[Brandon Russin]

Just to be clear.

[Unknown Advertiser]

I mean, obviously anyone can be a criminal, but it is maga. It's specifically MAGA faction.

[Eric]

Like you get up in the morning and you doom. Scroll through things and although I will.

[Mike Benz]

Say this, the last few days you.

[Eric]

Woke up thinking there might be news. Just saying, Just saying.

[Brandon Russin]

But you can only push people so far and then they start to take.

[Unknown Advertiser]

Matters into their own hands.

[Eric]

Yeah. You think any of that had anything to do with it? They Democrats incited this violence. They called Charlie Racist for no reason. The blood is on Democrats hands. Look at Harry Sisson, that clown right there, piece of garbage, little influencer, Biden influencer. Wow. But what's incredible is that after having a day to process what happened, 24 hours or less, Democrat party media still running with their this is maga's fault narrative, by and large, saying we all need to turn down the rhetoric.

[Mike Benz]

So let's be serious about where this.

[Unknown Supporter]

Violence is coming from.

[Eric]

Speaking of this tragedy, is this a moment for your party to reflect on political violence? But what can be done, I fear when this is an escalation already in less than 24 hours of this shooting, that is incredibly dangerous.

[Unknown Supporter]

I am really, really disappointed.

[Eric]

And what I would urge, I would really urge the President of the United States to speak out against that.

[Unknown Supporter]

I don't view this as an issue.

[Eric]

Of the right or the left. I think we've seen political violence, you know, on both sides of the spectrum. You know, these Democrats, they're the ones killing people, not us. The left is. And yet their answer is to come out today, less than 24 hours after he was murdered, assassinated in cold blood, talking to students at a Utah university and scold conservatives. Listen. A fish rots from the head down. When Joe Biden yelled in front of red lights in Philadelphia about MAGA extremists being the biggest threat to America, his followers listened. When every Democrat leader and politician spends more than a decade spreading violent and hateful propaganda rhetoric against MAGA and Trump and anyone who supports him, there are consequences. There's lunatics on the left, they'll take that and run with it. It's their dog whistle. It's their signal to perpetrate violence against the people that they're calling racist and bigoted for no reason. The left created this. And now we have millions and millions of brainwashed left wing lunatics who actually believe that President Trump is Hitler or something. And the supporters MAGA are Nazis and they've been encouraged to harm us. Charlie Kirk died debating, and that is the cornerstone of democracy. Killing Charlie for that, that is the definition of fascism. Killing is all they have. Violence is all they have left. After the attempt on President Trump's life, the left didn't dial down their rhetoric. No, they were even more hateful and vile than ever. This is who they are. Pure unadulterated hate. As an American, in my life, there have been only two moments where a public event left me shaken and where I thought that the future of America is uncertain. Two moments where I thought there's a Possibility, a terrible future may lay ahead. 1st of September 11, 2001. I was there, watched it. Watch the planes fly into the. I worked at the World Trade Center. I was there for that. The confusion afterwards, I can't even describe. And the second, September 10, 2025, nearly 24 years later. I don't know what lies ahead, but I do know this. The left just showed us exactly who they are. This is the line in the sand. I'm angry. You should be angry. We should all be pissed and more resolute than ever. This is only the beginning. What we do next, it's critical. What we do next will decide the future of this country. Charlie Kirk did not die in vain, and we will make sure of that. Up next, we're going to talk to Brandon Roussan, a young man who is right in front of Charlie Kirk when he was assassinated. Stick around for that. Two and a half minutes away. All right, folks, our next guest was in the crowd in front of Charlie Kirk during yesterday's assassination at Utah Valley University. Brandon Rasson is a. He's shaken. He's shaken up by the murder of Charlie Kirk, but he's agreed to come on and tell us what happened. Brandon, thank you so much for joining us. Tell us, you know, take us through. First of all, where were you specifically?

[Brandon Russin]

Just establish that I was directly in front of Charlie's tent, approximately 15ft in front of him when the. When the shot occurred.

[Eric]

When the shot occurred. Okay, now let's back up a little bit. The beautiful day, gorgeous day, big crowd, huge crowd. Anything unusual at the time, maybe before? Did you notice anything? Just take us through anything you may have seen or thought or heard.

[Brandon Russin]

There was nothing visibly unusual that I observed. However, I did walk into the courtyard thinking if there was going to be any sort of attempt on Charlie's life. This is a. A awful open area. There's so many vantage points that. That maybe a shooter could hide, hide in. And. And those were the legitimate thoughts I had. And I told my friend that I was with before the event began. But then I just kind of threw that. Those thoughts to the side, thinking this was a very Charlie Friendly crowd. Utah's pretty conservative. And so I just didn't think anything of it after that until, of course, the event took place.

[Eric]

Now tell us. He had the microphone down. He was listening to, I think a student or someone in the audience's question, picks up the microphone, starts to answer the question and tell us what you saw, what you witnessed.

[Brandon Russin]

Oh, man. I replayed in my head all day and all night I couldn't sleep. I can't eat. It is a haunting image that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I didn't think it was real at first when I heard the shot and I saw Charlie slump over and, and just the graphic detail of, of. Of that, that fatal wound really, really shook me up. I. I didn't have any time to process it before I dropped to the ground with everyone else, kind of instinctively. And at that point, I knew that. That Charlie had been shot. And what I had saw was it looked like that shot would be fatal. So I reached for my phone and texted my wife and told her that there was a shooter and that I loved her and in case there were any more shots that would, that would happen. And luckily there wasn't. But. But I needed her to know in case that. In case the shooter was going to target anyone else.

[Eric]

You hear one shot, the crowd goes down, starts to disperse. You don't hear any more shots, right?

[Brandon Russin]

No more shots. And at that point, when people realized there weren't any more shots, I think we all kind of got an adrenaline rush, started running towards the buildings. I know the people in the back had started to run to buildings at first, but all of us who were in the standing crowd had dropped down to the ground and were kind of all huddled together. So.

[Eric]

Yeah, I've seen the video. I know. I know what you saw. I saw it on tape. I know what I saw. Everyone wanted to believe he was going to be okay, but that was a fatal. That was a instantly fatal shot leading up to this. You're part of the community, the Utah Valley University community area. How did you find yourself at this event?

[Brandon Russin]

I was a former UVU student. I saw ads posted for this event. I've watched and loved Charlie Kirk's content for years. And so I was very excited to attend this event and see the open dialogue he would have with. With people in Utah. And, and, and so I just. There was. There was so much excitement as a way for me to, to decompress from the school year. And, and obviously it's now a very traumatizing event in my life.

[Eric]

Brandon, did you. Did you see any counter protesting? Do you see any people who are anti. Charlie? I saw a couple of, you know, pride flags. Some folks on. Some looked like almost a bridgeway or walkway with some. With some pride flags. Flags and signs. What. Tell us if you saw any. Anything that would look like it would be. Could be potentially, I don't know, a lead for investigators.

[Brandon Russin]

What did you See, I, in terms of the protesting. Yes. Above the tent, there were, there were protesters who had signs. We weren't really hating them at all. However, the thing that really kind of still haunts me and, and makes me suspicious, and I think it's already being looked into. I, Once the shot rang out and we dropped to the ground. I don't know if you've seen the video that's going around of a guy who was in the middle of that standing crowd close to the tent. He was the only one still standing up, and he was pumping his fists in the air and shouting and yelling. And I was right next to that guy in that crowd, and I was, I looked up to him while I was on the ground, and I just felt such a, I felt, I felt really dark in that moment. I don't know.

[Eric]

He was, he was, he was celebrating Charlie's demise. Is that what your indication was?

[Brandon Russin]

Yes, yes, that's why.

[Eric]

Can you describe this guy a little bit more?

[Brandon Russin]

Yeah, I mean, he, he was just standing next to me in the crowd before it happened, and he was.

[Eric]

He wearing.

[Brandon Russin]

The video shows him what he looks like.

[Eric]

Tell us what he looked like. Oh, that's the guy. This is the guy we're talking about right here.

[Brandon Russin]

I, I, I am right down on the ground next to that guy, and.

[Eric]

Holy smokes, I haven't seen that.

[Brandon Russin]

That, that, that made me feel a terrible feeling when I, when I saw him doing that. I think that's when it sank in that Charlie had just been killed.

[Eric]

You know, very, very odd show that. Yeah, keep rolling this, because when we freeze right here, he's looking right there. That's kind of the direction that that shot came from, is it not? Because it was, it was. You'll, you'll tell me, Brandon, you know, the, the positioning of the stage versus where you were and where the shot has allegedly come from. Could he be looking back at a shooter?

[Brandon Russin]

I think it's very possible he could be looking back at the shooter. I know at this point the shooter had run off the rooftop, according to other videos that have been released. But I, I would not just discount it, as I do think he, he could be looking in that direction. Absolutely, I do.

[Eric]

I'm gonna call, call an audible from the, from the chair here, a booth. Brandy, do you have a minute? Can we take a break and can we come back with you?

[Brandon Russin]

Sure. Absolutely.

[Eric]

All right, folks, let's, let's do a quick break, and we're gonna come back with Brandon Russin. He's, he was there eyewitness folks. All right, Continuing the conversation with Brandon Russin, who was there as an eyewitness right up front at the. At the booth, at Charlie's booth when he was assassinated. Brandon, bringing you back. So. So this happens to fight. This guy, this lunatic is pumping his arms and fists. Tell me, when you saw Charlie get hit, tell us what happens next. They got him off the stage and into. Into an SUV fast. The people around that. Was there anything unusual? What did you notice about the people who were on the stage with him at the time?

[Brandon Russin]

I. I didn't notice anything about the people on the stage with him. I know he had talked very highly about his team and named them all by name. And. And so I didn't notice anything else unusual besides this man that was next to me. But. But, yeah, I didn't even see him carried away because I think I was too focused on. On helping me and my friend get out of there.

[Eric]

So let me ask you, anything at all, like, even. Is there something you play through your mind and go, oh, yeah, I'm not going to. Maybe that doesn't sound right. Is there anything at all, even when you're leaving discussions, that. That strikes you as odd?

[Brandon Russin]

I mean, the sickening thing that I saw was some of the liberal protesters there, some of the students there just laughing and jeering. I'm not alleging that they had anything to do with it, but more that they are just celebrating the death of this. This beloved man. And unfortunately, I did not notice anything else suspicious besides this. This man who. Who is very, very clear in my head. And I hope that they're able to bring him in for questioning.

[Eric]

I'm sure they will. I'm sure they will. Cash Patel, FBI directors, on it. He's in Root, Utah, right as we speak. Brandon, how are you doing?

[Brandon Russin]

Thank you for asking. I think talking about it has helped ground me. I've been trying to push the image of what I saw out of my head for the past 24 hours. And, yes, talking about it recreates that image in my head once again. But I think I can now tell myself this is not a nightmare. This is reality. And all I can do now is move forward. So, in short, I'm doing okay.

[Eric]

Well, okay is. That's good. We're good. We're proud of you, my friend. Talk to people if you need to. It's. It's. It's good. All right, Brandon. Brandon Russin, thank you so much for sharing what you saw, what you know, and if there's other things that come up Please contact our producers. We'll get you back on, my friend. Thank you.

[Brandon Russin]

Absolutely. Thank you, Eric.

[Eric]

All right, folks, our next guest, the executive director for the foundation for Freedom Online, Mr. Mike Bentz. Mike, you've been listening to a harrowing recount of one of the most tragic moments maybe ever in American history. Young man was front seat, front row to a heinous assassination. What do you, what are you hearing? First of all, what are you hearing? And then you can weigh in on what you heard just moments ago.

[Mike Benz]

It's all mortifying. It's. I think it changes the history of this country. It casts a pall of death over what had been really an unbroken series of successes. It's felt like within this movement, within the cultural unity and solidarity that people have felt. This is a loss of an unbelievable and hard to process magnitude. Charlie was a force of nature. I would not be here without Charlie. I don't think we as a movement, as a cause would be here without Charlie. He was a child prodigy in this, with a very unique set of gifts that you almost never see in the same person. What this cause needed most in the early days a decade ago were institutions. There was a feeling within America and a voter base and an electorate and moms and dads and kids who had a feeling about the way they wanted the direction of this country to go in. But what really makes a cause or a movement durable is the construction of institutions. And there were no MAGA institutions until this kid, this 18 year old kid, Charlie, shows up and he builds not just any institution. He went straight into the lion's den, the most hostile place on planet earth for an American populist cause. College universities, colleges and universities. I think turning point now is 3,500 college chapters. When I was in college, nobody wanted to be labeled a conservative, nobody wanted to be labeled a Republican. All there was was college Republicans, which was a social death sentence. There was no community, there was no solidarity, there were no events. There were no speakers or parties or networking or everyone having each other's back. And Charlie built that from the ground up. And he did that as a communicator, as a long term strategist, as a bridge builder. I think Charlie had the most difficult job out of anyone. In some ways more difficult than the President. He had to wrangle every side of maga, all of the cultural flare ups between one side of MAGA versus another, between one side of an issue versus another. And he had to always find a way to bridge them together in order to keep them unified. As a cohesive, unified force. And that's very, very, very difficult to do. And that responsibility was put on. You sometimes see that in the wisdom of elders who are able to be diplomatic spokesmen, ambassadors, communicators, but also clear, linear, logical thinkers. Charlie did that as a kid. Every room he walked in, it looked like Charlie was president or was about to be president. When you see him next to presidents, he looks like he's going to be president. I could see him as having been J.D. vance's vice president. In the next election cycle, turns 35, he did the impossible, building institutions. And that gave a green light to other people that try to build institutions. So we, we need a thousand more institution builders. And we just lost our best one to a cold blooded, gruesome grizzly. Broad day, broad daylight execution. I, I think what has to happen at this point has to be an extraordinary message sent from our FBI and law enforcement. An example has to be made.

[Eric]

So, frankly, you're touching on something, Mike, because I want to delve into this and what I'd like you to do. Let me take a quick break because I want to delve into this because for this guy to pull off a one shot. Where is he? He gets away. It scares me. It makes me feel like there's more than one person behind this. But I want, I want Mike Benson's take after the break. Can you stick around?

[Mike Benz]

Yeah.

[Eric]

Yes, sir. Okay, we'll be back in two and a half minutes.

[Unknown Supporter]

Man, Charlie, I remember when we were starting these out and it was that, like that, you know, it was like this, it was like, it was like your average three rows. It was like your average political meeting where there's like 12 people in a room. And this is, this is awesome.

[Eric]

This, in my personal opinion, was the most over the top Trump event that I've ever covered.

[Unknown Supporter]

This is the number one boots on the ground operation in the country. We're working directly in harmony with the Trump campaign. It's been vetted, it's been cleared, it's been blessed, as you can see there. And we're going to try to win this thing. No guarantees. It's what we do that matters. Mr. President, I could say tell you this room is 100% with you and.

[Eric]

We have your back.

[Unknown Supporter]

God bless you.

[Eric]

We really do. Thank you. All right, we're continuing conversation with Mike Benz, the executive director of the foundation for Freedom Online. Mike? Okay, so the, the question I posed to you was we're 40, 24 hours plus out from the assassination. No sign they have Someone they have a person of interest that they may be talking to. Positive. How does a guy spend. Get away from. From this. This amount of people, this amount, these amount of phones and cell phones. Does it not feel to you like there was more people than one shooter involved in this?

[Mike Benz]

I don't know. I don't know. The range of possibility is very wide. I hesitate to express exactly what my inclinations are in a moment like this because there's so little information in terms of. We know it was a rooftop shooter. We know it was essentially a one shot sniper dead on.

[Eric]

Mike, Mike, let me. Let me do this. And I know and you know everyone's gonna pull a sound, but if Mike says something or Eric says something, that ends up being wrong later. Listen. Wall Street Journal Drudge reporting. Ammunition engraved with trans anti fascist ideology. It's not us, not Mike or Eric or Rav. It's. It's on Drudge right now. And I saw Wall Street Journal saying that the. One of the shell casings I think was what they found with an engravement on it. Now, if true changes the dynamic a little, doesn't it?

[Mike Benz]

Certainly, if that. If that bears out to be true. I just know that there have been a few things that have been walked back in the past 24 hours. And so I'm trying. Frankly, Eric, I'm filled with enough rage right now that I want to make sure it's directed at the proper targets. There's. I feel the impulse in me as I think probably millions do that. As soon as we find this mother, as soon as we find this monster, I want him strung up. I want crows to eat his insides out. I want to be publicly televised after a guilty verdict, due process and administer. Administered by the law. But I want the most monstrous, gruesome death that we just had to watch. I want that to be etched into the halls of eternity so that anyone who tries to do anything like this ever again sees what their own insides look like on national television. And their family will have to see it the way Charlie's has had to see his. I don't think, I think about whoever did this. If they had to stand in a room with Charlie and how Charlie would tower over them, how they wouldn't stand a chance in a fist fight or a verbal fight or anything. And a coward. I. Whoever that is. The most unspeakable things have to be administered by our law enforcement.

[Eric]

Brings up the question.

[Mike Benz]

So I hesitate. All I'm saying is I hesitate to point it at the responsible group until we know who that is.

[Eric]

Yeah, I agree. However, again, again, not Mike or Eric reporting or Rav reporting, New York Post right now. Just came out a rifle recovered in the hunt for conservative influencer Charlie Kirk's assassin contained AMM engraved with quote, transgender and anti fascist ideology according to preliminary reports from law enforcement sources. I mean, I just want to make.

[Mike Benz]

Sure that I, I know Eric. I just want to make sure that's 100% true before I, before I lean into it. Because if that is true, that's that, that and, and, and I agree. I know I disagree with the editorial line of the Wall Street Journal quite frequently and I have seen them factually, in my view misreport things in, in the past. And, and given that our own FBI has released two suspects on, on this already, I just, I, I just want to, I want a higher degree of certainty before I, I commit that.

[Eric]

That is where we had the discussion, we've had the discussion on this show last week, in the beginning, part of this week, should transgender people be barred from purchasing firearms, owning firearms in America. And, and I would stand on the side, especially if this is true. Again, we just saw the same thing happen in, in Minneapolis where a couple of young school children were murdered, assassinated, killed while they're praying in church. And the inscriptions on the gunman's guns and magazines were anti. Trump killed Donald Trump, you know, and this was a trans, a trans guy doing this, right? It's trans dude. But there's a lot of.

[Mike Benz]

I totally understand this is true.

[Eric]

If this gun that they found did have those markings and it belonged to the shooter, I will continue to say that there's something going on in the trans community. I'm not saying all gay. I'm saying in the trans community there's something happening. There's something affecting their ability to ration and reason and maybe it's the drugs they need to take to change, to try and change their gender, then they're going to change, but try and change their gender. And it does push into the area of yes, if, if you can be mentally unstable and not be allowed to own a gun or if you can be a need a medical marijuana card in some states and not own a gun or have an open carry license, then guess what? I believe that whatever's going on in the trans community, we need to investigate because there's probably some sort of link there, in my opinion. Not revs, not Mike's, just Eric's.

[Mike Benz]

Right. And where I am on this is I want to see those engraved casings. Posted by the FBI X account. I want to see them on FBI.gov I want to get it firsthand from Cash Patel and Dan Begino so that we know that this is actually the truth rather than getting it secondhand from the Wall Street Journal who, whose, whose reportage I've I've noticed been particularly impressed by in the past several years. And I just want to make sure that that is 100% true because obviously the trans community I think has been disproportionately celebrating this death. The you can go on Blue sky and just see post after post of he, her, them, they celebrating this and in the most monstrous way possible. You've seen calls from radical members of those communities calling for Charlie's death long before this. I keep a pretty close nose to the grindstone on these left wing commentary communities online. I think it's important for folks on the conservative side to read what folks with opposing views say to each other, especially when they don't think you're listening. And Charlie was disproportionately a target almost more than anyone else I can think of for many, many months and years before this. Even though he was arguably the most moderate of all of the large right wing MAGA voices, but certainly the trans community and many other aspects of the cultural so called progressive much more far left side.

[Eric]

You're very downtrodden. A lot of people listen to you. They take your word. They need to process this. All the heightened rhetoric we just ran. I did a whole monologue with probably 10 different sound bites of progressive liberals kind of blaming Charlie for his own demise or calling Trump and any one of his supporters, Charlie being one of his biggest Hitler and Nazis and basically planting seeds for, for to. To grow into what these are these evil acts of assassinations or assassination attempts in Trump. Is there a tie in your opinion?

[Mike Benz]

Well, the SPLC drew a target map with a. Looked like a. Basically a bullet site on Charlie's Turning Point usa. Turning Point usa. You remember this heat map of extremist groups and this sort of moral quandary if you could go back in time and kill baby Hitler has been very normalized. This idea that, that, that if it would change the trajectory of history, it's actually okay to engage in first degree premeditated cold blooded homicide. And I think anyone say that because.

[Eric]

Because I often think of this in the last 24 hours change the course of history. And you was it you that me I think it was you that mentioned.

[Mike Benz]

Charlie was going to be our president.

[Eric]

He could have been a president. He could have Been.

[Mike Benz]

There is no.

[Eric]

There you go.

[Mike Benz]

There's no way. The boy was 31 years old and he already was the key matchmaker, power broker, fundraiser, institution builder. There is no way Charlie Kirk would not have been a President of the United States at some point in the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years. He was, he was chosen for that. He. He spent his whole life in this. He was the perfect person for this. He was the bridge between every element of the MAGA movement and they shot that bridge in the, in the crux of his neck in broad daylight.

[Eric]

Yeah. Mike Benz. Change the course of history. Thought about all the way all morning long. Did they? They may have. And, and you're passionate about that, Mike. Good having you. Appreciate your time. We'll, we'll stay on it. We'll bring you back as. As things warrant. Thank you, sir.

[Mike Benz]

Thank you, Eric. Be safe.

[Eric]

All right, you too, Mike. Two and a half minutes, folks. Be back.

[Unknown Supporter]

As you know, we are heading on campus here momentarily at the University of South Florida, throwing it down with the students. It's going to be a lot of fun. We are excited to continue this cultural movement that we have started at Turning Point usa. More high school chapters, more college chapters. And disagreement is not just welcome, it is invited. We want to have those tough conversations. That's what it's all about. Every day, the American people demand certain accomplishments and victories. Disagreement is what keeps a movement alive, keeps a movement fun. Here in this country. We are a country of flourishing. We're a country of risk taking. We're a country of building. We will achieve American greatness. And we are just getting started.

[Eric]

Foreign. So yesterday was a terrible day for this country. We all know that. We all know what happened. Unfortunately, millions of people saw what happened only on the Internet. Of course, no level of bad news is enough to make Democrats act like sensible, compassionate human beings. Starting with none other than Jamie Raskin, the Democrat Congressman who offered a smirk and a shrug before giving a half assed response about the murder. Tone down the rhetoric after what happened with, with Charlie Kirk, you know, I mean, it's a horror what's going on. And the gun violence is out of control. And, you know, my heart goes out to Charlie Kirk's family. What a nightmare this whole thing is. And we saw it recently in Minnesota with elected officials being targeted and, you know, it's just out of control across the country. And so. Gun control. Gun control, right. Why is it Democrats and liberals are the ones killing everyone and then calling for no more guns and they're using guns when they do it. Of course, AOC had to weigh in. She made Charlie's killing all about gun control again. But let's be honest. Are you really surprised?

[Unknown Advertiser]

Yes, there are the. There are words. But most importantly, we are in a job of leadership. We are in a job of action. We are in a role and a position where the American people are looking to us to do something about this. And every single day, people are dying due to gun violence in America. And every single day, there are people dying in this building that continue to vote against doing anything. They vote against universal background checks. They continue to support legislation.

[Eric]

Gun control. Don Lemon did another one of his terrible man on the street reporting segments. By the way, Don Lemon texted me in the middle of the show yesterday. Is Charlie really dead? Shut up, Don. Shut the hell up. Well, he's on the street and just. I don't know. Right after Charlie Kirk was killed, it was horrible. Completely politicized, the unthinkable situation. He, like aoc, immediately used the tragedy as his opportunity to what, push gun control? It's their only thing they've got. Watch. You yelled at me.

[Mike Benz]

I did.

[Eric]

Do you know Charlie Kirk?

[Brandon Russin]

No, I don't.

[Eric]

Charlie Kirk is the turning point usa. He's a very conservative right wing activist. He was shot today at a. At a college gathering in Utah and killed.

[Brandon Russin]

I'm disheartened by that because he's a human being. I don't condone the death or any killing of anyone that's. That's wrong.

[Eric]

Regardless of their political views, Regardless of.

[Brandon Russin]

Their political views, we're all humans.

[Eric]

What should we do about guns?

[Brandon Russin]

We definitely need to have gun control so that we can eliminate violence.

[Eric]

You think this will make a difference?

[Brandon Russin]

Absolutely.

[Eric]

You do?

[Brandon Russin]

I do. Because the attention is here, I think, and I hope that it will allow people to take it more seriously and do something about it.

[Eric]

Gun control. All right, I want to show you a clip now. It's going viral right now. A man in the crowd. But, you know, I don't even want to do this right now, Ben. Let's do the other thing instead. I found this video from June of last year, June of 2024. So Trump is running. This is before, remember, this is before Trump had the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Let's roll the first sound bite because this is Charlie really talking about exactly what happened to him. It's really prescient on his. On his part. And I'm just. It's. It's eerie. Eerie. Hear him say this. Knowing what happened yesterday. Watch.

[Unknown Supporter]

This is where this is headed. I hope everyone understands, whether it be Julius Caesar. Yeah, Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. Bobby Kennedy. Assassinations of major political leaders are nothing new. And yet we've kind of been immune to that for a couple of decades. We have been warning about this for months now. The very interesting question is will they try to kill Joe Biden or Donald Trump.

[Eric]

Before the assassination attempt? Butler Charlie Kirk said that, but he went on. He went on. And this is where we need. This is the legacy that we need to have post Charlie Kirk. Listen month.

[Unknown Supporter]

This is why the Next man up philosophy is so important and why we wanted to do the show with you, Steve, as a show of force is that you take one out, a hundred more appear. You take one out, a thousand more appear. You take one out,. 10,000 more appearance. You take one out, we give more money. You take one out, we register more voters. You take one out. Is that it only actually makes us stronger.

[Eric]

Pretty amazing, right? They took Charlie Kirk out, but they didn't take out TP usa. They didn't take out Charlie Kirk's movement that he started. We will continue that. We will hold the torch. We will continue to follow that. And when he said, you take one out, we have 10 more behind it. That's what I hope. I really hope that 10 young people from TP USA stand up and become their own Charlie Kirk's army of people talking about how the conservative movement matters and is the right movement for this country. Otherwise we're going to get lost by the left. And they will take it and they will run with it. Folks, it's been a tough hour. It's been a tough couple of days. Tough couple. 24 hours. We'll be back again.

[Mike Benz]

This is an iHeart podcast.