Just the News No Noise with John Solomon and Amanda Head, September 10th, 2025

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Just the News No Noise with John Solomon & Amanda Head

Podcast: Real America’s Voice / iHeartPodcasts
Episode Airdate: September 11, 2025
Episode Theme: Immediate reactions and analysis following the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in Utah.

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Overview

This profound and somber episode focuses on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, conservative activist, commentator, and founder of Turning Point USA. John Solomon and Amanda Head guide listeners through the breaking events, honoring Kirk’s legacy, capturing reactions from close associates, law enforcement, and political leaders, and discussing the ramifications for American society, political culture, and free speech.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking News: The Assassination and Immediate Details

• Timestamp: 01:17–02:59
  • John Solomon opens with the stunning news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University.
  • The hosts underscore Kirk’s unwavering commitment to free speech and respectful debate, regardless of the political divide.
  • Law enforcement details:
    • The shooter (or shooters) initially at large.
    • The shot was fired from an elevation and hit Kirk in the neck.
    • Kirk died shortly after in hospital.
    • Police believe the suspect was a skilled marksman.

Notable Quote

“Whatever happened here, we don't know all the details yet. It is something that America is going to have to deal with in a really big way.”
— John Solomon [01:17]

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2. Remembering Charlie Kirk: His Impact and Values

• Timestamp: 02:59–07:07
  • Both hosts emphasize Kirk’s legacy as a debate champion and advocate for civil discourse.
  • Strong condemnation of mainstream commentators implying Kirk was a “hater.”
  • Personal anecdotes about Kirk’s humility, vision, and kindness.
  • Tribute to his effect on conservative youth culture and grassroots activism.

Notable Quotes

“He was a man of deep faith. He might have disliked the values of the left, but he never hated a person... he always treated people with dignity.”
— John Solomon [03:25]

“He was a joyful warrior. He was always happy, always tall... but he towered over me not just in his height, but in the intellect and sense of mission.”
— John Solomon [05:26]

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3. Gary Rabin: Mentor’s Reflections on Kirk’s Life

• Timestamp: 07:07–16:21
  • Gary Rabin, businessman and longtime supporter, shares how he met Kirk at 18 and was won over by his astonishing clarity and drive.
  • Rabin stresses Kirk’s universal love and his focus on God, America, and faith.
  • Discussion of the growth and future of Turning Point USA, the movement Kirk started and the generational legacy he leaves.

Notable Quotes

“This kid had the audacity to dream, and he delivered on his dream. But he knew also he didn't do it without people in his foxhole like you.”
— John Solomon [09:12]

“He changed more minds from left to center to right than anybody ever has... leaders of countries want to hear from him.”
— Gary Rabin [10:17]

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4. Turning Point USA’s Future & the Youth Conservative Movement

• Timestamp: 13:06–15:53
  • Discussion of the organizational and cultural vacuum Kirk’s death creates.
  • Rabin predicts a temporary pause, but an eventual resurgence, stressing the depth of leadership within the organization.

Notable Quote

“No way we're going to let this slow down.”
— Gary Rabin [15:53]

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5. Event Security and Law Enforcement Response

• Timestamp: 19:09–26:25
  • Retired FBI executive Chris Piotta explains the ground operation in Utah:
    • Security procedures, intelligence gathering, forensic approach (trajectory, ballistics), and investigative priorities.
    • A suspect is reportedly taken into custody promptly.
    • Highlights the challenges and the high-profile nature of the investigation.

Notable Quotes

“What you'll find is... after they recover any bullet fragments... they'll see what the caliber... what the weapons platform could have been.”
— Chris Piotta [22:48]

“In the world that we live in right now, you have to keep your mind open to all possibilities... you don't want to rule out any investigative avenues.”
— Chris Piotta [23:54]

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6. The Official Response: Utah Governor Spencer Cox & FBI

• Timestamp: 26:34–41:25
  • Governor Cox confirms the event as a “political assassination” and vows justice, referencing the death penalty.
  • FBI and university officials discuss the ongoing investigation, details about the attack’s logistics (shot from a rooftop, one shot, targeted attack).
  • Law enforcement stresses this was not a mass casualty event but a targeted killing, and security protocols are reviewed.

Memorable Moment

“This is a political assassination... when someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened.”
— Gov. Spencer Cox [34:00]

“We were working together [with Kirk’s security team]... This was an open venue... we had probably over 3,000 people in attendance... It was kind of in a bowl surrounded by buildings.”
— Chief Jeff Long [38:16]

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7. Congressional Perspective: Rep. Marlin Stutzman

• Timestamp: 42:21–50:36
  • Rep. Stutzman reflects on Kirk’s magnetic influence on Capitol Hill and his own family.
  • Draws a connection between Kirk’s loss and wider patterns of political violence.
  • Expresses hope that justice will be fully sought, and advocates for civility, valuing of life, and a return to faith-driven community.

Notable Quotes

“Charlie was an inspiration to young people across this country. And for one person... to assassinate somebody that he disagreed with, it’s a sad day for America.”
— Rep. Marlin Stutzman [42:49]

“It starts with faith in God and respecting human life... Life is such a gift.”
— Rep. Stutzman [49:14]

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8. Media Coverage & Calls for Legacy

• Timestamp: 51:00–54:51
  • The hosts critique insensitive or “despicable” mainstream media reactions, especially on MSNBC.
  • President orders flags at half staff nationwide in Kirk’s honor.
  • Solomon proposes establishing an annual “Charlie Kirk Defender of Freedom Award” to continue Kirk’s legacy and instill his values in new generations of Americans.
  • Closing remarks encourage courage and resilience for Kirk’s supporters and Turning Point staff.

Notable Quotes

“Anyone who knew Charlie Kirk... knew that he wasn’t hateful. He just tried to debate with them about what he believed was right.”
— John Solomon [51:58]

“Freedom is God’s idea... and for someone like Charlie Kirk, who so loved freedom, he is free indeed.”
— Amanda Head [54:03]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 01:17 — Announcement of Charlie Kirk’s assassination
• 03:25 — Hosts discuss Kirk’s character and condemn media misrepresentation
• 07:07 — Gary Rabin reflects on Kirk’s youth and vision
• 13:06 — Turning Point’s cultural impact and future
• 19:09 — Ret. FBI Assistant Director Chris Piotta explains investigation
• 26:34 — Gov. Cox, FBI, and University press conference
• 42:21 — Rep. Marlin Stutzman’s response from Congress
• 51:00 — Hosts respond to media coverage and suggest Charlie Kirk legacy award

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Tone, Language, and Atmosphere

• Tone: Sombre, urgent, respectful, occasionally defiant.
• Language: Emotional, personal, at times raw with grief and indignation.
• Atmosphere: The episode is a rare mix of mourning, resolve, and a call to moral conviction and national soul-searching.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “When someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened.” — Gov. Spencer Cox [34:00]
• “No way we’re going to let this slow down.” — Gary Rabin [15:53]
• “You cannot let this assassin stop what [Kirk] has done. In fact, the best way to punish that assassin is to double down on Charlie Kirk.” — John Solomon [53:45]
• “Freedom is God’s idea... who the Son sets free is free indeed.” — Amanda Head [54:03]

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Summary

This episode stands as a historical marker for the American conservative movement, mourning the loss of a central figure while reinforcing ideals of faith, civility, and debate. It provides breaking updates on the ongoing investigation, features heartfelt tributes and calls to action, and frames Kirk’s legacy as both a warning against intolerance and a torch for the next generation.

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Transcript

[A]

This is an I heart podcast.

[B]

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[A]

Good evening, America. I'd like to tell you we have good news for you tonight, but we don't. Welcome to a very sad edition of Just the News. No noise. Our colleague, our friend. I used to call him my taller but younger brother from another mother. Charlie Kirk, assassinated in cold blood while doing what he did best, working with college students to get them the confidence they had to be strong conservatives. Amanda, what happened in Utah just a few short hours ago, it's unthinkable, unnecessary, but this is a reckoning moment in America. Whatever happened here, we don't know all the details yet. It is something that America is going to have to deal with in a really big way.

[C]

Yeah. Regardless of whether it was domestic or foreign, Charlie represented the best of not not just one political side, but the best of America. He was a huge proponent of the First Amendment above, above all else. And he wanted to have open dialogue. He wanted to have conversations because he firmly believed that when you stop talking to the other side, when you stop having convers and debating each other civilly, that that's when. That's the inception of violence. And unfortunately, someone had a lot of hate in their heart today and took it out on Charlie. And I'm only going to say this once because I've already cleaned up my makeup four times today. My heart goes out to his wife and to their children. And I know that Erica is grieving right now, so I am joining all of you in praying for her for impossible, unexplainable peace in the midst of all of this as a wife, myself and John, for you as a husband. We fortunately don't know what that's like, but just unexplainable.

[A]

Yeah, we do. And we're about to head into the morning of 24 years ago, what happened that horrible day on September 11th in 2001. And tonight we have a fresh reason to mourn, because it's the same intolerance and hatred. It doesn't matter whether it's Islamist terrorism or liberal intolerance or some foreign government, whatever this turns out to be, we have to confront intolerance and hate in America. And we got to stop letting it be the norm on television, on our discourse. You mentioned Charlie Kirk, the debater. And my goodness, was he an incredible debater. But I want to address something that I've heard on several of my former colleagues shows today. Some have suggested he deserved this. That's just. Obviously we're not even going to dignify that with a response. But people said that he was a hater, and I know that for sure not to be true. This was a man of deep faith. He might have disliked the values of the left, but he never hated a person who was a liberal or any person. And he always treated people with dignity. Even if he applied the greatest sharpness of his intellect to an argument, he would give the shirt off a back to help someone that was in need, regardless of their political stripe. And so for you guys in the media who want to call him a hater, just stop it. Now I can tell you it's factually false. Don't do it. Because I will call you out every time, every night for the rest of my life if you do it. Stop it. There's a lot to be learned here. Bring you up to speed on what we do know at this moment. The shooter or shooters are still at large. We believe the shot was fired from a distance beyond the crowd. Charlie was at a Utah college doing what he loved best, just giving students the courage to stand up for their values and believing in freedom and life and God in this great country. It appears that the shot was from an elevated location. It struck Charlie in the neck. He fell to the ground. He did not recover and died shortly thereafter at the hospital. It appears to be a skilled marksman. That's what we're hearing from law enforcement and we're going to Keep you up to date on this network all night long. Facts matter. Even in a moment of mourning. We're going to try to give you as unemotionally as we can, the facts, the truth. Wherever this story leads, we owe it to Charlie to give America the truth. Because that's what he always was fighting to do. We'll never be the same. Here. I was with him in Colorado, I have to admit. I griped and complained about taking the trip because it was the last weekend in August. I was a grumpy old guy and it was going to be a 13 hour flight with all hops and stuff. But I was blessed when I got there and Charlie and I talked for a little bit and we were on stage. It was myself and Scott Jennings. It was a great conversation. But before I talked to Charlie privately a couple times and I said to him, did you ever think you'd have this much profound effect, generational change? And he said to me, oh, you're being so dramatic, John. It's really not that difficult. What I did, like we talked about, I just realized that young people needed strength in numbers. They needed to be surrounded by other people who weren't ashamed to be conservative or believe in freedom or in this great country. And all I did was create a little peer pressure so you could stay who you are and you weren't bullied into being a thinker that you were not. And I thought that was such a profound answer. He was a joyful warrior. He was always happy, always tall. He always towered over me. But he towered over me not just in his height, but in the, in the intellect and the sense of mission that he felt. And we are a lesser country tonight, absent his incredible Persona. And we grieve with him, along with Erica and the kids and our colleagues here at Just the News, who, amidst the sad news, just kept reporting the news so you could get it in real time. And I'm proud of every one of them who stood alongside us today, Amanda, and just gave our viewers what we knew in real time. All right, I think we have somebody who knows Charlie really well. He was a mentor, an advisor, a supporter. He once ran for governor of Illinois. He would have made an incredible governor of Illinois. And he's joining us right now, Gary Rabin. Gary, thank you for joining us on this very sad evening.

[D]

Thank you, John. I appreciate you having me on. It's not an easy time to be on, but when you call, I'm going to be there for you for sure. And I got to tell you, I Had the honor of meeting this young man at 18 years old. And he told me this dream he had. He had 20 or 30 kids involved in this organization, told me this dream he had. And at the time, my kids were. Three of my kids were in and out of college, one left to go. And I saw what was going on in college campuses at the time. I looked at my late wife, Cheryl, and said, you know what? This is the blessing that we have to invest in. At the time, we'd been investing in great causes, but Charlie asked if we would help invest in this new cause he had. And, boy, when we understood the intelligence of this young man, we're like, golly, if anybody can do it, this is the mind that can make the change. So this huge dream that this kid had at 18 years old, and as I got him speaking in front of people all over America, entrepreneurs, and his dream at 18, 19 years old was, I just want to be in schools across America and educate kids on why God and America are so great. So anybody that says that he has hate in his heart, they don't know him. They didn't know him. Okay? He loved everybody, just like God expects.

[A]

Of all of us.

[D]

And when you listen to him debate, he respected everybody before he disagreed with them, and he always reasoned with anybody to tell his side of the story, his point. And so, anyway, I had the blessing to be great friends with Charlie through these last 13 years. And I love him, love him dearly. We have to pray for Erica and his family because, boy, she needs us all. And then we have to pray for America because we know that, you know, the devil goes after great leaders in our society, right from Jesus to Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Charlie Kirk. And what do we do? We rally behind their families and rallied behind their cause to make them even stronger than they would be if they're here with us.

[A]

You said, I'll just interject, and I can turn it over to my amazing colleague. But you said he loved everybody. I will tell you, I know personally, he really loved you. Gary, when I was in Milwaukee last year at the convention, you and I had breakfast, and I saw Charlie little bit. Listen, I just. With Gary, his face lit up, and what he said is, I couldn't have done what I did if I didn't have a mentor like Gary in my corner. His love for you and his respect, and he looked up to you. And that kid had the audacity to dream, and he delivered on his dream. But he knew also he didn't do it without people in his foxhole like you. And so I just want to say that because I didn't get a chance to tell you in Milwaukee, but his face smiled the second I mentioned your name because he knew what you did for him.

[D]

I didn't do anything but just help him dream a little bigger. That's what all the entrepreneurs I could get behind him. I got some of the biggest dreamers I could find, myself and many others that had big dreams, that accomplished their dream, that got behind Charlie to help him develop a dream. And all of us big dreamers never dreamed as big as Charlie ended up accomplishing, right?

[A]

That's so true.

[D]

Millions of supporters and followers and people that love this young man and they didn't love him because he hated anybody. He changed more minds from left to center to right than anybody ever has, I think in this country. And when a young man like him gets respect from leaders of countries. Last I talked to him on Sunday, he was coming back from Japan, flying back from Japan. What do you do in Japan, Charlie? Well, I was in South Korea and Japan and I'm talking to all different groups of people and leaders that wanted my opinion and wanted to hear from me, so I had to go. But again, think about that 31 year old kid. Leaders of countries want to hear from him. And so we can't let this dream die. It's got to be bigger than ever before. People like myself and other people that love this man so much and this cause so much have to now rise up and really thank God we had him. Thank God we've got the model, in my opinion, that he left this legacy that we all need to continue on and make stronger.

[A]

Amen to that.

[C]

Gary, you are such a shrewd businessman. I have no doubt that you have probably been pitched 10,000 dreams in the course of your business life. When Charlie came to you with this idea of turning point, of spreading the message of freedom across in this country, what was it about him or his delivery or his message or his dream that you thought that is bankable?

[D]

Well, I never heard of an 18, 19 year old kid with this clarity and goals and expectations, right? And when I realized he had this photographic memory, he would never say this to anybody, right? But he had a photographic memory. And his memory was really anchored in love of God and love of faith and family and America, right? So how could you not like love this kid and want to be part of what he was going to do? And by the way, I had this selfish thing in my head saying people around me are saying, why are you spending so much time with this kid. And I said, because he's going to be one of the leaders of our country someday. And you're going to say you wish you'd have been around him. If you don't invest in him now, you're going to wish you did. Okay. But in the background, I tell my family, I'd say, you know what? Worst case scenario, this doesn't work out, Charlie will be the best CEO of any company I build in the future. That was kind of a selfish thought, right? Charlie would be welcome to be a CEO in any. I've started 41 companies in 44 years. Charlie could have led any one of them better than me or any of my leaders today. You know, so when you know that, it's kind of like, I'm gonna be close to this kid if it doesn't work out. We know we got a place for Charlie always. And I think there's nothing he could have led in this world. And, you know, we can hate this situation, and I have a hard time staying away from hating what happened. Right. But I think we have to look back and love this person and love his family and pray, pray more than we've ever prayed in our lives that Charlie's message and this legacy continues on.

[A]

He would have been a CEO of a great company called Courage because he always had it. He was fearless. He was a joyful warrior. He was always happy whenever I was around him. He was always happy doing what he did. Gary, we have seen since Charlie started on this mission in 14 and 15, an extraordinary shift in Gen Z. And I wonder if you could opine a little bit just on the legacy that once he created a space for young people in high school and college to be for freedom, for America, for the American experience. It seems like he moved a whole generation.

[D]

So you're exactly right. I mean, I'll tell you, my kids were, you know, were out of school by the time he started. My older kids, and then. And then my younger son didn't go to college, but his friends that went to college had this backdrop of Turning Point usa that they can lean on my older kids. My older kids, you know, one of them was pretty vocal about against some of the messaging they got from their professors and administrators. The other two are kind of quiet, just. But, you know, they didn't get. Their brains, didn't get turned differently than they thought going in because they grew up around entrepreneurship. But their friends, many good kids, really turned in a different direction. My son's friends, now, my son Nick's friends, younger generation, all in college and at the end of college all had the backdrop of Turning Point USA that my older kids didn't have. So to see the difference in a 10 year span, it's incredible. And so what he's created is really something that our history will never see again. Now it's a matter of us making it bigger and better and going forward making it bigger and better. But. But, yeah, it's such a difference in college campuses now, high school campuses also, by the way, we're growing rapidly in high school campuses as well. And boy, it's like you get we have to educate this message in grade schools as well.

[A]

Yeah, you are right, Gary.

[C]

Charlie was so one of a kind. He was so patriotic, he was so charismatic. It's hard to see Turning Point continuing in the same manner without him. But we all know that he left an incredible place playbook and there are plenty of capable people there at Turning Point. Does it continue with the same speed and fervor as it has been traveling along for. Since its inception?

[D]

I think it's going to continue at a. We're going to. I think we should. We're going to pause for a little bit here and we're. And we're all going to pray a lot and remember Charlie and then we're going to regroup in the near future. And when we regroup, I believe that we've got so many great leaders on board in this organization, young and old. We need to regroup and we need to understand how this legacy continues stronger than ever before. And I believe that I'm not stopping. I'm not going to let this stop. And I believe the hundreds of investors and thousands and hundreds of thousands of kids, no way we're going to let this slow down.

[A]

Yeah. From your lips to God's ears. We got to make this even bigger and better and ride the wave that Charlie started for all of us and that you started. Gary, it's an honor to have you on the show. And I couldn't think of a better person who could capture the essence of Charlie Kirk than you. Carrie, thanks for joining us tonight, my friend.

[D]

Thank you. And pray for Charlie and his family. We'll never forget this, man. Just like we didn't forget Jesus. We didn't forget Lincoln. We didn't forget Martin Luther King. We're not forgetting Charlie Kerr.

[A]

Yeah, we shan't. We shan't. It would be a mistake to do so. Gary, thank you so much. All right, folks, we're going to take a quick commercial Break. Catch our breath here. We've got more around the corner. The FBI has a lot of work ahead of it under Cash Patel to figure out what happened here. We've got one of the FBI's best to join us, retired FBI Executive Assistant Director and good friend Chris Piotta up next, right after these messages.

[C]

Welcome back, everybody. Before we get to our next guest, just a quick programming note. Shortly, Utah's Governor Spencer Cox is going to be doing a live press conference. So we're going to dip into that. Utah, of course, being the state where Charlie Kirk was tragically killed just a few hours ago at Utah Valley University. So we're going to dip into that in a moment. But, John, I think about all of the interactions that we had with Charlie as a brother at this network. And, you know, you oftentimes with him in places far and wide and just always such a genuine guy. And regardless, regardless of how busy he was. I mean, you think of all of, if you've ever been to a Turning Point event, you know that it is, I mean, it is a production. It is a production on the scale of, of a Beyonce concert and all of the intricacies, all of the people who get involved on the production side, on the logistics side, on the governmental side, on the law enforcement side, I mean, it is just such an operation. But he, he never was too busy to talk to people.

[A]

No, I love the event he did a few months ago where he was on stage with his wife the whole time where they're basically interviewing each other and know you and you saw the love they have and the faith that they have. And I just thought that he was something special. I would fight with him, I would mentor him. But I will tell you, the first time I saw him was in 2015, and I was working at Sinclair and David Smith, the owner, said, you're jumping on a corporate jet. Now, I'd never been on a corporate jet in my life, so I thought this was a pretty big deal. And we went down and there was maybe 200 kids in this home, hotel, ballroom. And Charlie stood up. I spoke for a little bit, but they stood up. And I'd never seen anyone like this. And then David said, you know, he skipped college. He kind of dropped out of college. I'm like, he don't need college. But you could just see somebody magical. And from the two or 300 kids in December of 2015, and I think it was West Palm beach to these last few events where you have thousands, tens of thousands a week that were being touched by him what, what a success he was. And it's probably that success that made someone want to stop it. But they're going to have failed. They didn't. They may have succeeded in killing Charlie. They will not succeed at the greater gold. Somebody who succeeds a lot, particularly when he was in the FBI. As one of our next guests, we got a good one, don't we?

[C]

Yes, we do. And I loved having Gary on in the first block because he offered kind of that personal side of things. He's a witness to the charisma and the intellect of Charlie Kirk. So now let's talk about the law enforcement side of things because there are a lot of us out there asking questions as journalists here. We are, obviously the first champing at the bit, trying to get answers to a lot of the questions and who did this and how it happened and why wasn't Charlie protected? So joining us now to discuss all of that is retired FBI Executive Assistant Director Chris Piotta. Chris, thanks so much for joining us.

[E]

Good evening, John, Amanda. And before we get started, I'd like to offer my deepest sympathies and condolences to Charlie, Kurt's wife and children, family and friends for this tragedy.

[C]

Yeah, thank you for that, Chris. Walk us through what's happening there on the ground in Utah. What's the process here? Who all is on the ground? Who is there from Washington? What does it look like right now?

[E]

What you have right now is a process of, of course, they look to identify and mitigate any immediate threats, any continuing threats, which I think was probably done earlier today. And now you have the process of investigative work where they're interviewing on scene individuals, people who can provide audio and video footage, people who may have seen certain things, bits and parts that the investigators can put together. Also what they're trying to do is make sure that the site is preserved for the post shooting investigation, where you're going to have the state and local authorities along with federal authorities working together to identify what happened, how the shots were made, looking for forensic evidence, and they're also looking to reconstruct things like trajectory, ballistics and things of that sort that led to the murder of Charlie Kirk.

[A]

Yeah, it's going to be a complex event. And when you don't catch a shooter right away, it gets a little trickier. And obviously right now, at least as of an hour ago, there was no one in custody. From what you can see in video footage, it looks like this shooter was a pretty good marksman aiming for the neck, if you're right and from an elevated angle, it looks like those are the three things we've been told by law enforcement so far, which isn't a lot of detail, but where, where might that lead? The early search, I assume buildings, rooftops, windows might be the place that the FBI is going to look quickly for, right?

[E]

That's correct. They'll bring in the FBI laboratory division to support our state and local partners and they'll start looking at again, trajectory, and they'll look at the way the video shot was taken and they'll recreate what happened. And there's some footage that I just saw a few minutes ago where someone saw a shooter or someone on a rooftop.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

And what they're going to do is they're going to look at how that could have happened and then they're going to look at the security perimeter. And this individual may have been outside the security perimeter.

[A]

That's right.

[E]

When you mentioned the shot that was taken, the neck or the throat area is not a general target area. Usually you'll have the head or the chest. So this individual may have taken the shot and miscalculated for certain shooting, you know, characteristics and hit him in the throat instead. But it was still a lethal shot.

[A]

Yeah. Good observation, Chris.

[C]

So often in these high profile murders or assassinations, you have have ballistic tests that are performed and that oftentimes gives us a lot of information and we obviously all know from the Kennedy assassination. Assassination. A lot of conversations surrounding what we learned from those ballistic tests. What can we glean once they figure out what was used? Can they figure out the source of the weapon? Can they figure out if it was foreign or domestic?

[E]

I think what you'll find is after they recover any bullet fragments from, you know, from Charlie Kirk, they do an analysis. They'll see what the caliber of the bullet was, whether it was a 5.56 round or maybe a.308 round or whatever. And then they'll look and see basically, you know, what the weapons platform could have been based upon certain characteristics. And they'll use that in the investigative effort and then try and trace backwards, look for any specific or unique identifying information that could lead them to some suspects that they can, you know, conduct investigation and then. And move forward to try and find the shooter.

[A]

Yeah. We have so many enemies of this country. Some are inside, some are outside. Do you look at foreign? Do you look at domestic? There's always chatter out in the, in the, in the intelligence world. What's your. When you're at the FBI, there's a sit Room probably set up or someone's working the intelligence angle tube. Do you consider on the eve of 911 that this is foreign, or do you mostly look at domestic, or do you just keep your mind open to all possibilities?

[E]

In the world that we live in right now, you have to keep your mind open to all possibilities. Depending on the symbology of the 911 anniversary versus the awful and divisive political and ideological environment we have in our country right now. You don't want to rule out any investigative avenues or investigative areas of motive, but, you know, the FBI and its partners will look in all areas and they will leave no stone unturned.

[A]

Yeah, no doubt about that, Chris.

[C]

We all know that Charlie was a proponent of freedom and he therefore was a big supporter of President Trump. So you connect those dots. Is there a good reason for President Trump to have some extra, extra, extra security over the next few days?

[E]

I would say anyone of prominence in the conservative media world or political world should probably take a little bit of extra time and look at their surroundings and where they're going and some of the activities that they're involved with. The problem you have here is that in an act of violence such as this, if you can get your, I guess you can call them your adversary or your opponent, to step down, step back, to be afraid, to move away from, you know, their message and their mission, then, then you've won. Right. And that's why they do these types of things, the, the people who move to violence. And one thing I will say is that what I'd like to see is a very affirmative, aggressive movement from our law enforcement community to put this type of ideological or terroristic violence down hard. Violence can't be tolerated like this. And there has to be a. Chris.

[A]

We want to stop you for a second. We have some news from the director of the FBI, Cash Patel. The subject of the shooting, the person believed to have been the shooter, has been taken into custody. This is about two minutes ago. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with at FBI. We'll provide updates when able. We just got that word from Kash Patel. That's a pretty quick. That's a pretty quick turn on someone who probably left the scene, right?

[E]

I would imagine that person left the scene quickly. But again, with the FBI's vast resources, they can bring in audio, visual recognition, and they can bring in their vast investigative authorities and their skills, skill and professionalism with our state and local partners and make sure that we can make that arrest like they did just now, congratulations to the FBI and its partners on the arrest.

[A]

All right, Chris, we're going to go to the press conference. Thank you for joining us. The governor's just taking the stand. We're going to get you back on tomorrow. Thank you, my friend.

[E]

Thank you.

[A]

All right, folks, we're going live to Governor Cox.

[F]

We will be co leading this criminal investigation to find this killer along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We were working in unison with the county Sheriff's office, the local police department and the University Police Department, all of which have been very cooperative and fully engaged in this process. Shortly after the shooting, we did have a suspect in custody, George Zinn, but he was released from custody after we identified that he did not match the shooting suspect and was not an accurate person of interest. However, he has been booked into the county jail by Utah Valley University Police Department for obstruction of justice. We do still have an active investigation for the person of interest. This incident occurred with a large crowd around. There was one shot fired and one victim. While the suspect is at large. We believe this was a targeted attack towards one individual. This is a tragic moment in our state and in our country. As we heal, we encourage everyone who is struggling with news of the incident to call 988, our state mental health cross crisis line. In addition to that, our partners with the FBI will also be discussing other ways we can communicate through the public for tips and other information.

[A]

Thank you.

[D]

Good afternoon.

[G]

On behalf of the FBI, we extend our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Charlie Kirk. Our thoughts are also with the people who witnessed this traumatic event. We know that what you experienced was very difficult. Our thoughts are with you as well. As soon as we heard about the shooting, special agents and personnel from the Salt Lake field office responded immediately. We have full resources devoted to this investigation, including tactical operational investigative and intelligence. To be clear, the FBI will fully support and co lead this investigation. Alongside with our partners, we are working on setting up a digital media tip line and as soon as it's established, we'll get get that information out to everyone. I know there's a lot of questions. This is very much an active case and this investigation is in its early stages. We are following all the leads and all the evidence. If anyone has any information, please report it to the FBI or local law enforcement.

[D]

Thank you. On behalf of President Tuminez, who we've been communicating with, and she's on her way back right now. Say that on behalf of Utah Valley University, we are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Charlie Kirk. We express our sincere condolences to the Kirk family. We agree with our students, faculty and staff who bore witness to this unspeakable tragedy. He was invited by the student group Turning Point USA to speak on our campus. We firmly believe that UVU is a place to share ideas and to debate openly and respectfully. Any attempt to infringe on those rights has no place here. We do not condone any form of violence at UVU and seek to make our campus a safe place for all.

[H]

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us on this. On this dark and tragic occasion. I want to thank our law enforcement officers who are leading this investigation, starting with Chief Long and, and his, his response here with the UVU Police Department. We're grateful for your leadership and, and your team and again to the. The speakers that you've just heard from who are are co leading this investigation. I also want to recognize Sheriff Mike Smith who has been an invaluable partner as this investigation moves forward. I've been in touch with President Trump, with FBI Director Kash Patel. We are completely aligned with our state and federal partners as we work through this case. Now. This is a dark day for our state. It's a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination. We are celebrating 250 years of the founding of this great nation. That founding document, the Declaration of Independence, that this great experiment on which we embarked together 250 years ago, that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. The first one of those is life. And today a life was taken. Charlie Kirk was first and foremost a husband and a dad to two young children. He was also very much politically involved and that's why he was here on campus. Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people. Historically, our university campuses in this nation, here in the state of Utah, have been the place where truth and ideas are formulated and debated. And that's what he does. He comes on college campuses and he debates. That is foundational to the formation of our country, to our most basic constitutional rights. And when someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened. Now we have a person of interest in custody. The investigation is ongoing. But I want to make it crystal clear right now to whoever did this, we will find you, we will try you, and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law. And I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty here in the state of Utah. Our nation is broken. We've had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination on the Governor of Pennsylvania. And we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former President of the United States and now current President of the United States States. Nothing I say can unite us as a country. Nothing I can say right now can fix what is broken. Nothing I can say can bring back Charlie Kirk. Our hearts are broken. We mourn with his wife, his children, his family, his friends. We mourn as a nation. If anyone in the sound of my voice celebrated even a little bit at the news of this shooting, I would beg you to look in the mirror and to see if you can find a better angel in there somewhere. I don't care what his politics are. I care that he was an American. We desperately need our country. We desperately need leaders in our country. But more than the leaders, we just need every single person in this country to think about where we are and where we want to be. To ask ourselves, is this it? Is this what 250 years has wrought on us? I pray that that's not the case. I pray that those who hated what Charlie Cook stood for will put down their social media and their pens and pray for his family. And that all of us, all of us will try to find a way to stop hating our fellow Americans. With that, we're happy to take a few questions.

[A]

The FBI director is posting that a social. That a suspect is in custody. I would just like clarification. Do you or do you not have a suspected shooter in custody?

[H]

We have a person of interest in custody that is being interviewed right now.

[B]

That is not George Zinn.

[H]

That is not George Zinn. That is correct.

[E]

Are you still searching for anyone looking.

[D]

For another shooter or anybody else related to this?

[H]

Yes, we are actively looking for anyone and everyone who has any, any possible information relating to the shooting.

[D]

Can you tell us details about the.

[A]

Suspect being taken into custody? Where, you know, how long ago?

[H]

We. We cannot at this point, but we will get you that information when, when we can.

[D]

Is there believed to be a second individual involved in the shooting?

[H]

At this point, there is no information that would lead us to believe that there is a second person involved.

[G]

Can you guys talk about the possible shooter?

[A]

We.

[H]

Do you want to talk about what we know there?

[A]

Yeah.

[F]

The only information we have on the suspect, the possible shooter, is taken from closed circuit TV here on campus. We do have that. We're analyzing it, but it is security camera footage. So you can you can kind of guess what the, what the quality of that is? But we do know dressed in all dark clothing, but we don't have a much better description other than that.

[E]

Where does the shot came from?

[F]

The shot came from here on campus from a location at a third. Potentially from a roof. Yes, a longer distance shot from a roof.

[C]

So to clarify with the security camera footage you have and the person of interest that's in custody, do those, does that match up?

[F]

That's what we're trying to decipher right now.

[D]

Did FBI or DHS have anything on the threat board this morning?

[A]

I can't speak.

[G]

I'll just say that the investigation's ongoing and as soon as we have further information, we will be sure to release it.

[A]

Any indications of foreign intelligence involvement?

[G]

As of now, I can't comment on any of that.

[A]

Thank you.

[D]

Can you talk a little about the security of the event itself, but who was there security wise and what happens.

[I]

On these kind of events?

[J]

So my name is Jeff Long. I'm the police chief here at uvu and I'll tell you right now, we are devastated. We're a small, small police department. We have a very large campus. We have over 40,000 students. We love our students, we love our visitors, and we're devastated by what happened today. This is the police chief's nightmare. I'm very saddened for the Kirk family. I know his wife and parents found out about this. You know, obviously he's away from home. He's here in Utah. They find out by a police officer that visits their home. That's tragic. Nobody wants that. But I can tell you about our venue today. This was an open venue. This was outside. We did have six officers working that event. We had probably over 3,000 people that were in attendance. It sat down in kind of a bowl area here on the central campus. We have a waterfall area. And so he was kind of in a lower area surrounded by buildings. You know, we had some plainclothes police officers that were in the crowd as well. You know, we train for these things and you think you have things covered and you know, these things, unfortunately they happen. You try to get, you try to get your bases covered. And unfortunately today we didn't. And because of that we had this tragic incident. So we did have officers there. We had Charlie Kirk's team. He has a security team that travels with him and they were here with him when he was shot.

[A]

Was the gun recovered?

[D]

I'm sorry?

[A]

See, was the weapon recovered?

[J]

I, at this point, I can't disclose.

[C]

That there was a question being asked about mass shooting. Was that person apprehended, and do you know who asked that question?

[J]

Say the question again. I don't know if I understand what you're saying.

[C]

When Charlie Kirk was shot, he was answering a question about mass shootings. Specifically, was that person apprehended, and do you know who asked that question?

[J]

I do not. We do not have that at this moment.

[I]

Ladies and gentlemen, we have time for just one more question, so thank you.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Question for the chief as well. Was it your team or Kirk's team.

[C]

Or a combination of both that kind of set the security protocol for the event?

[J]

So we work together. You know, he has his team, and they do this all over the country. We all know that this is not uncommon for them. They're very comfortable on campuses. And I was coordinating with his lead security guy, and so, yeah, we were working together.

[D]

Was this a sharpshooter type shot?

[H]

Ladies and gentlemen, That's.

[I]

That's.

[H]

Those are all the questions that will be answered today. Again, thank you for. For covering this. We will be. We'll be updating you as soon as we have additional information through. Through normal channels, working with law enforcement. Again, our deepest condolences to the Kirk family and into the students who were there today. And I would just ask everyone everywhere to please pray for their family and pray for our country. We need it now more than ever. Thank you.

[A]

All right, folks, let's get you quickly up to speed on what just transpired at that news conference. Governor Cox, let's like FBI Director Cash Patel confirming a person of interest is in custody. He's being interrogated. They believe he may be the shooter. There is video footage which we have seen here at Just the News and at Real America's Voice. Excuse me. That shows the shooter on a roof. Police chief for the Utah University confirming that the shot likely was taken. A single shot which hit Charlie Kirk in the throat area. And there's not a whole lot more. An interesting moment in the conversation. They asked if they can rule out any foreign involvement. They said they couldn't address that issue yet. That's an area I know federal law enforcement is looking at right now. We're going to keep you up to speed on that as we develop over the next hour. But right now we've got a fantastic guest. He represents the state of Indiana in the United States House. He is Congressman Marlon Stutzman. Congressman, good to have you on the show on such a tragic day.

[I]

Thank you, John and Amanda, it's obviously just heartbreaking to see what happened and to hear what happened to Charlie Cook this afternoon. We had votes on the floor a little bit ago, and the mood on the floor is just shocked. You know, our hearts are broken for Erica and their young children. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kirk family. There's so many emotions that I know all of us are going through right now. Obviously, sadness, but also, I'll be honest, for me, it's a little bit of anger. You know, here one person silenced a voice that was talking with 3,000 young people. Charlie was an inspiration to young people across this country. And for one person who has the freedom here in America to assassinate somebody that he disagreed with, it's a sad day for America.

[A]

Yeah, that it is.

[C]

Congressman Charlie Kirk's circle of friends reached all the way up to Capitol Hill, and he led a generation of people who oftentimes inspired and even pushed for changes in legislation. His presence, I imagine, or the lack thereof, is going to be felt in the halls of Congress, too, isn't it?

[I]

Oh, absolutely. You know, my son, I have two boys, Gen Zers, that just admired Charlie. And our oldest son is a student at Liberty University. He was the chapter president of TP USA last year. And he just called me a little bit ago. You could just hear the sadness in his voice. And they were having a prayer vigil before it was announced that Charlie was assassinated. But there's hundreds of thousands of young people across this country that are hearing the news today of Charlie's assassination, and it's going to have an incredible impact on them and their worldview on what happened today. And the impact that he had on Capitol Hill was incredible. You know, anybody that has the ability to communicate to the younger generations the way that Charlie did is always a person that we all admire because he's engaging young people into a conversation with the freedom of speech that we have on college campuses across the country. And there's so much admiration for him on Capitol Hill for being fearless, but also the way that he communicated with young people and his actions spoke so much, and it's a huge, incredible loss for our country today.

[A]

Sarah, I want to turn to just one other topic. You have so eloquently captured what Charlie has done. You also are such an important voice for what's going on in Syria and some of the ethnic minority cleansing going on. You are perhaps one of the most cogent voices in Congress on this right now. Tell us just a little bit about what we need to keep our eye on there and what we in the United States can do to stop some of this horrific behavior.

[I]

Yeah, you know what I mean? I was planning on talking, as you said, about the Christians and Druze in Suweta in Syria. Syria, who have been just, without mercy, killed by militia in Syria. You know, and here it just happened in our own country today, where hatred assassinated somebody that he disagreed with. And we're seeing the same thing in the Middle East. You know, the hatred that happened October 7th coming out of Gaza towards the Jews in Israel. And now we're seeing Christians and Druze that are being assassinated just point blank without any mercy in Suweta. And so, you know, our request of the president and our secretary of State and others who have any influence that there be a humanitarian aid route opened up for the Druze in Sueda and the Christians in Sueda. But again, it's the same hatred, John. It's so discouraging today to see that, you know, the hatred that happens over in Syria is also happening right here in our own country, whether it's the young Ukraine lady on a bus who is. Who's stabbed to death or Charlie Kirk who is assassinated on a college campus. And this is the sort of hatred that needs to stop and needs to be ended.

[C]

Congressman, I think for so many of us, we see the political discourse in this country in the direction that it's been going, and we immediately jump to, to, you know, this is domestic, it's someone on the left, but this could be foreign. If it is foreign, how do we retaliate? Do we retaliate?

[I]

Well, I think, you know, just like with President Trump, I am, you know, I would not be surprised, and I'm actually very suspicious. Would not, you know, would believe that there was a foreign component to the shooter somehow. You know, this is what they do in the Middle East. You know, they hire young people. Well, we see this in the drug trade in Chicago. They hire these young people to go out and assassinate and shoot people wherever. You know, their mission is to, you know, spread hate and create terrorism. And so if there is a foreign component to it and our leaders find out, I am, I believe that President Trump will be sure that justice is served. And if the shooter that they have apprehended somehow gives any indication that there is, there will be, you know, further justice. And, you know, this person who assassinated Charlie Kirk, I was grateful to hear the governor's comments from Utah that they will follow the law as far as they can and that justice will be served, including the death penalty in Utah. But, you know, I'm praying for all the people involved right now and praying for our country because, you know, the political shootings that have happened over the past several months have got to stop. And it's so, so discouraging today to see that a great leader like Charlie was assassinated.

[A]

Yeah, it's heartbreaking. And you're right, the final victim, and this is our country that we have to get a grip on. This intolerance that we. For 240 plus years, we were good at disagreeing with each other but letting our words speak for themselves. But we seem to have a generation that doesn't see a human when they shoot at them, they see some video character or some Android. And I don't know how we get this culture of civility back. I know you and your colleagues talk about it, some thoughts about where we start this process, what we need. When we were struck on 9 11, we all agreed that we needed to stand up that hatred. But today, my colleagues just down the hall here at NBC, they had people on suggesting that Charlie was the reason he got shot. How do we, how do we get over this insanity?

[I]

Well, first of all, I believe it starts with faith in God and respecting human life. You know, that's why the abortion issue is such an important issue for us as Republicans, that we protect human life. I mean, you know what? Charlie's not coming back. Charlie's not waking up tomorrow morning, and his boys are without a father today. That is heartbreaking and heart wrenching. And if any person hears and just realizes that, you know what, you may disagree. I don't care if it's over what kind of food you like or the political positions that you take, it is never ever right to take another person's life. God gave us life. And I think that that's what's important, is that we need to realize that life is such a gift and that God is giving each one of us that gift. And you know what? If you're struggling, if you are, you know, uncertain about life, I mean, find answers. There's answers. And of course, I would encourage people to, you know, go to church, go to the Bible. There are good answers there that can help any person to find their way through life. And taking it out on another person is not the right way to do it.

[A]

Yeah, it's not the American way. It's not the way we've done it. And sir, you are such an eloquent voice on so many issues. It's a great honor on this tragic evening to have you here to help us come to grasp with what happened thank you for joining us, sir.

[I]

Thank you. Appreciate you both.

[A]

What a great guy and what an extraordinary person. What a great person to memorialize Charlie. All right, we're going to take a quick commercial break, catch our breaths. We're going to come back with one final segment before we hand off to the one and only Grant Stinchfeld. We'll be right back, folks.

[C]

Welcome back, everybody. As John hinted at in the last segment. Yes. When we got off the elevators at the building in B.C. is right across the hall. And I have to admit, John, that I'm not nearly as diplomatic as you are. And I really wanted to, you know, throw up a few one of these four fingers.

[A]

I'm swearing on the inside.

[C]

Uh huh.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

But there has been a lot of disgusting, despicable coverage on the news today. And Matthew Dowd on MSNBC was one of the perpetrators. Check it out.

[A]

He's been one of the most divisive.

[H]

Especially divisive younger figures in this who.

[A]

Is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.

[C]

I wonder if when he lays his head down on his pillow tonight, if he's going to regret saying that. Probably not, honestly.

[A]

On the same note, that he was making stupid people lead to stupid ideas. And I think we just witnessed one of them. I mean, it's just anyone who knew Charlie Kirk and this is what happens. People who don't know him start opine and go about him. We know that Charlie wasn't hateful. He didn't condemn people at all. He just tried to debate with them about what he believed was right. The President has just ordered all flags to be flown at half staff in the United States. That is a rare moment for someone who wasn't a government official, as usually reserved for presidents. An extraordinary honor for an extraordinary young man who's been stolen from us far too early. I was thinking as we drove over here, Amanda, to do the show tonight that how do you honor a guy like Charlie Kirk? And I know the first answer is you got to carry on the legacy. You cannot let this assassin stop what he's done. In fact, the best way to punish that assassin is to double down on Charlie Kirk. But I'd like to float an idea tonight, you guys on social media, tell me whether you like it. If you like it, we're going to go do it. I think we need to, to have an annual award called the Charlie Kirk Defender of Freedom Award because of all the things that Charlie fought for. Life, faith, family, common sense. He believed in the core belief of liberty in this country and freedom. And that's really what he was fighting for. He wanted those students to have the freedom to walk safely on campus and to speak their feelings. And just two weeks ago, and I briefly talked to Charlie about this the other day, we had a United States senator from Democrat who sadly apparently comes from my home state, Senator Kaine, who actually suggested that that freedom doesn't come from our maker, that our defenders of the. And the writers of the Declaration Independent were wrong when they declared that we were bestowed with inalienable rights of freedom from our Creator. The greatest way we can fight this is to start the education campaign that freedom is America and that what Charlie was fighting for and died for is that. And so I want to.

[C]

I like it.

[A]

You like it. I think we should go do it.

[C]

Here's the thing.

[A]

The Charlie Kirk Defender Freedom Award.

[C]

Freedom is God's idea.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Scripture talks about it throughout the Old and the New Testament. Who the sun sets free is free indeed. Lyrics is one of my favorite praise and worship songs rooted in scripture. And for someone like Charlie Kirk, who so loved freedom, he is free indeed. He is free indeed. And he is going to be watching whoever stewards Turning Point through its next generation. And I just want to tell all of you at Turning Point, you know, I know you guys are like family, all of you who worked at and with that organization. It was always such a family atmosphere there in Arizona every time I had the pleasure of visiting the facility. So for all of you who are going to be tasked with taking up the mantle and continuing on this organization, you are fully capable. I know that you all are full of the zest and the patriotism and the love for freedom that he was. So take it and run with it.

[A]

Don't let the haters. Don't let the haters scare you tonight. That's what they wanted by this act. Stand up to them and punch them back in the mouth. All right? A guy that's good at punching truth in the mouth every day. We love him. Grant Stitchfeld, my good friend up next to us, we're hand off to him and we're going to take a little bit of time to think about Charlie. Good night, everyone. This is an I Heart podcast.