The Daily: The Aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s Death

Date: September 12, 2025
Hosted by: Michael Barbaro
Guests: Nicholas Bogle Burrows, Alan Foyer

Overview

This episode of The Daily examines the immediate fallout from the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk. Host Michael Barbaro speaks with Times reporters Nicholas Bogle Burrows and Alan Foyer, delving into gaps and confusion in the ongoing police investigation as well as the intense, deeply polarized political response. The conversation highlights why authorities struggled to identify the suspect and explores how both major parties and their respective bases responded — with Democrats largely condemning the attack and Republicans uniting around blame for the left.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Confusion and Struggles in the Manhunt (00:26–12:09)

• Initial Uncertainty: Despite ample video footage and rapid information spread online, police have “incredibly little” information about the identity or motivation of the shooter.

  • Quote (Nicholas Bogle Burrows, 01:38): “We do not know who carried out this attack and we don’t know that person’s motivations. It’s been 30 hours… almost nothing about the person who did this.”

• Mistaken Identity & Police Missteps: Police twice detained and released men with no connection to the shooting, amplifying public and online confusion. Both men endured damaging public scrutiny before being cleared.

  • Quote (Michael Barbaro, 03:17): “The names of these two men get widely circulated and their reputations were widely maligned, and it turns out they had nothing to do with it.”

• Suspect Identification Challenges: Police and FBI released grainy surveillance images, seeking public assistance in identifying the suspect—an unusual move signifying investigative difficulties.

  • Quote (Nicholas Bogle Burrows, 03:27): “A few hours later, the FBI posts two grainy surveillance images… That’s a pretty clear indication that they were not able to identify him through other means.”

• Security Lapses: Unlike a presidential event, Kirk’s rally had minimal police (6 officers) for a 3,000-person crowd, reflecting an underestimation of risk.

  • Quote (05:35): “It’s not the kind of thing that is planned for in the same way, though, that a presidential rally or a political rally would be.”

• Escape and Investigation Details:

  • Shooter used a bolt-action rifle from a roof, fired one shot, fled through a wooded area, and managed to escape quickly; police found the rifle ditched nearby but have little trace beyond that.
  • Quote (Nicholas Bogle Burrows, 07:51): “The police have not been clear about those details or whether they know those details. The one thing that they have indicated is that he went through some wooded area where he ditched the gun. That’s it.”

• Speculation on Motive: Reports of ammunition engraved with “transgender anti-fascist ideology” are unconfirmed, and police have not clarified motive.

  • Quote (Nicholas Bogle Burrows, 08:12): “There’s been reporting ... that suggest(s) some of the ammunition ... was engraved with ... transgender anti fascist ideology. ... There’s very little evidence of any motive.”

• Manhunt Comparison: This situation is highly unusual; in past manhunts, the suspect was known and usually caught nearby. Here, they don't even know who to look for.

  • Quote (Nicholas Bogle Burrows, 09:37): “The unique aspect of this is ... we have no name, that we don’t know who did this.”

• Federal Pressure: FBI Director Cash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, both closely tied to the Trump administration, have flown to Utah to take control, signaling intense political pressure.

  • Quote (Michael Barbaro, 10:41): “Should that be seen as a sign that they are frustrated with where this investigation stands and how little has been confirmed?”
  • Quote (Nicholas Bogle Burrows, 11:08): “You have to imagine that there’s pressure from Trump all the way down for the FBI to solve this crime.”

2. Political Fallout: Responses from the Left and the Right (13:28–26:21)

Democratic Response

• Swift and Unified Condemnation: Democratic elected officials, from President Obama to Governor Gavin Newsom, condemned the assassination as an attack on democracy.

  • Quote (Gavin Newsom, 14:28): “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile and reprehensible.”
  • Quote (Barack Obama, 14:31): “We don’t know yet what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy.”

• Fringe Reactions: Some social media users on the left expressed approval or mocked Kirk given his stance on gun rights, but these views did not overlap with official Democratic statements.

  • Quote (Alan Foyer, 15:16): “Were there people who held up things that Charlie Kirk had said during his career, even in the moments after his death, to throw his own words back in his face about things like, you know, his belief in gun rights? Yes, there were.”
  • Quote (Michael Barbaro, 16:00): “That was absolutely out there. Yes, but it was not... the official reaction of elected Democrats.”

Republican Response

• From Grief to Fury: Conservative reactions quickly transformed from shock to explicit rage, blaming the left for fostering a “climate of violence” and in some cases, calling for vengeance.

  • Quote (Alan Foyer, 16:19): “What began as sort of shock and sorrow, it transformed pretty quickly ... into a kind of almost vengeful rage.”
  • Quote (Various right-wing personalities, 16:57): “He was hunted. ... We’re either in a civil war ... It’s war, motherfuckers. We’re coming for you.”

• Elected Officials and Trump:

  • Republican lawmakers in Congress and President Trump directly blamed the left, invoking historical analogies with “Marx and Stalin and Lenin and Pol Pot and Fidel Castro.”
    • Quote (Michael Barbaro, 17:38): “Leftist Marx and Stalin and Lenin and Pol Pot and Fidel Castro did.”
    • Quote (Trump, 17:51): “For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.”
  • Trump promised punishment for not just the shooter but “those who contributed to this atrocity... including the organizations that fund it and support it.”
    • Quote (Trump, 18:48): “My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity… as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.”

• Collapse Between Fringe & Officialdom: Alan Foyer observes a convergence on the right between the fringe voices and official messaging, unlike the distinction seen among Democrats.

  • Quote (Alan Foyer, 21:09): “On the right, you kind of have a synthesis of... the people outside of power and the people inside of power more or less saying the same thing... where, as on the other side of the aisle, there’s a real divide.”
  • Quote (21:39): “It’s worth recalling a couple of weeks ago, Stephen Miller... called the Democratic Party, the entire Democratic Party, a domestic extremist organization.”

Risks of Escalated Rhetoric

• Potential for More Violence: Experts warn that three ingredients are needed for political violence: an agitated populace, a triggering event, and a focal point. Two out of three are now present.

  • Quote (Alan Foyer, 22:44): “One of them is a riled up populace. ... There has to be a sort of triggering event, right? ... The third thing that experts will tell you is needed is a kind of focal point for the action.”

• Dangers of Political Demonization: The use of blanket accusations — especially by those in power — risks lowering barriers to real-world violence.

  • Quote (Alan Foyer, 25:39): “The use of that incendiary rhetoric is just a bad thing for democracy, period. Because the more that we permit ourselves ... to engage in this kind of violent rhetoric, the more we invite violence itself.”

3. Symbolism and Next Steps (26:35–28:22)

• State Recognition: Vice President J.D. Vance personally escorted Kirk’s casket via Air Force Two, underlining Kirk’s stature within the Trump administration.
  • Quote (Michael Barbaro, 26:35): “Vice President J.D. Vance flew to Utah to greet Kirk’s casket at the airport and to return it aboard Air Force Two to Kirk’s family in Arizona.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We do not know who carried out this attack and we don’t know that person’s motivations.” – Nicholas Bogle Burrows (01:38)
• “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile and reprehensible.” – Governor Gavin Newsom (14:28)
• “He was hunted.” – Conservative social media personality (16:56)
• “For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis… This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.” – President Trump (18:22)
• “It’s worth recalling that a couple of weeks ago, Stephen Miller… called the Democratic Party, the entire Democratic Party, a domestic extremist organization.” – Alan Foyer (21:39)
• “The use of that incendiary rhetoric is just a bad thing for democracy, period.” – Alan Foyer (25:39)
• “The more we permit ourselves... to engage in this kind of violent rhetoric, the more we invite violence itself.” – Alan Foyer (25:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:26 — Overview and introduction to the investigation
• 02:10 — Confusion over suspect identities and police detentions
• 03:27 — Police/FBI appeal for public help in identifying suspect
• 05:21 — Analysis of security and crowd control failures
• 06:05 — Shooter movement and escape; details from surveillance
• 07:53 — Rumors and ambiguity about ammunition "messages"
• 09:37 — Comparison to other manhunts; investigative challenges
• 10:41 — Political pressure as FBI takes direct control
• 13:28 — Political fallout segment introduction
• 14:28 — Official Democratic condemnations
• 16:19 — Right-wing response: rage and blame
• 17:51 — Trump’s public remarks on the assassination
• 21:39 — Analysis of right-wing rhetoric collapse between fringe and power
• 22:44 — Ingredients and dangers of political violence
• 25:39 — Reflections on rhetoric, violence, and democratic risk
• 26:35 — Casket returned with VP’s escort; closing symbol

Tone

The episode maintains The Daily’s hallmark: direct, measured, and analytical conversation. Guests provide careful reporting and nuanced analysis, while Barbaro elicits clarity on emotional and political tension. There is urgency and worry in the discussions around political rhetoric and violence, but a commitment to fact over speculation.

Summary

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, authorities faced confusion and lacked viable leads, struggling in both identifying the shooter and understanding his motive. The delay and uncertainty fueled political reactions: Democrats, especially elected officials, condemned the violence unequivocally, while a collapse between Republican officials and base saw the right swiftly and vocally blame the left and stoke existential conflict. Experts caution that, with rhetorical escalation and a catalyzing event, the United States teeters on the edge of further violence — underlining the critical risk of treating political opponents as mortal enemies. The episode closes with high-level recognition of Kirk’s place in the Trump administration, symbolized by the Vice President himself returning his casket home.