Trump Gives Disaster Speech After Kirk Assassination

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Trump Gives Disaster Speech After Kirk Assassination
Date: September 11, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas (MeidasTouch Network)
Main Theme:
The brothers break down Donald Trump’s controversial Oval Office speech following the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. They analyze the response from Trump and right-wing figures, highlight the spread of disinformation and political rhetoric blaming liberals, and underscore the dangers of escalating political violence in America. The episode is characterized by the Meiselas brothers’ direct critique, concern for democracy, and signature banter.

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Episode Overview

The Meiselas brothers open by addressing Donald Trump’s divisive Oval Office speech after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Rather than uniting the country or calling for restraint, Trump and key right-wing figures aggressively blamed the “radical left” without evidence, further stoking partisan tensions. The hosts dig into the cycle of misinformation, politicized blame, and the double standards in public reactions to political violence, drawing parallels to similar events involving both conservative and liberal victims.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump's Reaction to the Kirk Assassination (01:25, 12:46)

• Trump’s immediate response did not focus on unity or facts, but rather blamed Democrats and the left, using highly inflammatory rhetoric.

• Quote (01:25):
  “Donald Trump's statement is to say these. This is the fault of the radical left and Democrats and they did this and they're scum and we should go after them.” – [Podcast Host, Ben]

• Trump referenced prior attacks—including the attempt on his own life and the killing of Minnesota’s Melissa Hortman—blaming the left in those cases as well.

• The hosts highlighted the pattern where facts are ignored in favor of narratives that paint liberals as violent instigators, regardless of actual evidence.

2. The Spread of Misinformation and Conspiracies (03:45, 08:00)

• Right-wing influencers (e.g., Libs of TikTok, Laura Loomer) quickly called for retaliation or labeled Democrats as domestic terrorists without any supporting facts.
• Quote (03:45):
  “Right away though, the way the right wing uses this, weaponizes it, says the Dems did this, the liberals did this. Get rid of them. Eradicate, exterminate the. They use that language, I mean, is horrific.” – [Ben]
• The hosts condemned this dangerous escalation, emphasizing that the facts about the shooter were still unknown.
• The government’s mishandling of the investigation—including misidentifying suspects and public misstatements by FBI head Kash Patel—was called out as emblematic of deeper structural issues.

3. Condemnation of Political Violence (05:30, 10:32)

• The Meiselas brothers reiterated their unequivocal rejection of any kind of political violence, regardless of political alignment.
• Quote (05:30):
  “The way you handle your disagreements is not through political violence ... I condemn political violence.” – [Ben]
• They contrasted their stance with the inflammatory rhetoric used by right-wing politicians and influencers.

4. Examples of Double Standards and ‘Both Sides’ Discourse (07:08, 08:00, 09:09)

• Congressional responses vary wildly by party. Rep. Nancy Mace directly blamed Democrats, even as facts remained unclear.
• Quote (07:08):
  “Democrats own what happened today ... Democrats own this 100%.” – [Nancy Mace]
• When pressed about right-wing violence against Democrats (notably, the assassination of Melissa Hortman), such figures refused to acknowledge a broader issue of political violence.
• House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed the blame-the-left narrative, suggesting social media dialogue and Democrat statements incited the violence:
  • Quote (08:16):
    “It's clear. You've had people who have resorted to political violence because they were encouraged along by the dialogue out in the public square.” – [MAGA Mike Johnson]

5. Critique of Law Enforcement and the FBI (09:32, 13:54)

• The hosts criticized the FBI for multiple missteps during the investigation, including firing experienced officials (notably, Metab Saeed—a Pakistani-American woman who led the Utah field office).
• Quote (09:32):
  “They got rid of her, which could have been helpful to prevent situations like this from the outset … Now you have some 22-year-old intern … running the Domestic Terrorism Unit. That's horrible stuff right there.” – [Ben]

6. Democratic Leaders’ Responses: Contrast in Tone (10:32)

• Democrats, such as Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Mark Kelly, issued measured statements condemning violence and offering thoughts for Kirk’s family, emphasizing unity and de-escalation.
• Quote (10:32):
  “We must categorically reject all violence in our society.” – [Rep. Jamie Raskin]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ben (Podcast Host) on Trump’s Speech (01:25):
  “Rather than try to bring Americans together ... Donald Trump's statement is to say these. This is the fault of the radical left and Democrats and they did this and they're scum and we should go after them.”

• Nancy Mace, Rep. (07:08):
  “Democrats own what happened today. I am devastated. My kids have called panicking ... Democrats own this 100%.”

• MAGA Mike Johnson (08:16):
  “It's clear. You've had people who have resorted to political violence because they were encouraged along by the dialogue out in the public square.”

• Donald Trump (12:46):
  “For years, those on the radical have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers … This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing.”

• Ben, on the state of politics and violence (05:30):
  “Regardless of my views of Charlie Kirk and how I think Charlie Kirk has some of the most hurtful and hateful ideology ... I condemn political violence.”

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Important Timestamps

• 01:25 – Opening analysis of Trump's divisive Oval Office speech
• 03:28 – Trump’s dismissive response on calling Governor Walz after Melissa Hortman’s assassination
• 05:30 – Ben’s categorical condemnation of all political violence
• 07:08 – Nancy Mace blames Democrats for Kirk shooting
• 08:16 – Speaker Mike Johnson blames left-leaning rhetoric for violence
• 09:32 – Critique of the FBI's handling and Trump’s personnel changes
• 10:32 – Democratic leaders’ measured statements
• 12:46 – Trump’s full Oval Office remarks blaming the left
• 13:54 – Host's closing thoughts, summary of broader systemic failures

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Episode Tone & Style

The hosts exhibit their characteristic intensity and directness, combining legal and political expertise with urgency. The conversation is laced with gallows humor and brotherly banter but underpinned by deep concern for the state of American democracy. They maintain a strong stance for civility, facts, and rule of law, assertively calling out hypocrisy and danger in the rhetoric of influential right-wing figures.

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Conclusion

This episode underscores the urgent threat posed by escalating political violence and the amplifying effect of irresponsible leadership and social media narratives. The Meiselas brothers argue forcefully that facts matter, violence must be condemned universally, and double standards only deepen division and danger. Their analysis cautions listeners against knee-jerk blame and highlights the importance of preserving democratic norms and civil discourse, especially in moments of national crisis.

Transcript

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[Interviewer]

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[Podcast Host]

Story Donald Trump just gave an awful speech from the Oval Office about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Rather than try to bring Americans together to talk about calmness and that an investigation is taking place and we're going to get to the bottom of this and that political violence is never acceptable. As we continue to gather more facts saying words to that effect, Donald Trump's statement is to say these. This is the fault of the radical left and Democrats and they did this and they're scum and we should go after them. And then Donald Trump brings up the assassination attempt on him in Butler, Pennsylvania where all the right wing influencers and media blamed on Democrats and liberals and then it turned out that the shooter was from a Trump supporting family. The shooter was like a Trumper, a registered Republican and then they tried to quickly change that talking point. Or then regardless of the facts say they tried to go after Donald Trump. The liberals did. When? That's not what happened. Remember when you had Melissa Hortman, the Speaker Emeritus of the Minnesota House of Representatives where she was assassinated by a right wing individual and all of MAGA tried to Say it was a liberal and Governor Walz appointed the guy and this was a radical lefty. It was like a Trump supporting right wing guy, but they spread all of these deranged conspiracies. Do you remember Donald Trump was asked, well, are you going to call Governor Walz of Minnesota to discuss with him the. We knew it was a political assassination of the Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband. And Donald Trump attacks Governor Walls, you remember this? And says he's whacked out, he's a mess. We why would I call that guy? Here, play this clip.

[Interviewer]

Have you called the governor yet or been able to speak to any of them?

[Donald Trump]

I don't really call him. He's, look, he appointed this guy to a position. I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I'm not calling. He's a mess. So, you know, I could be nice and cold, but why waste time now?

[Podcast Host]

Donald Trump's speech from the Oval Office was indeed deeply divisive, but it was not. Divisive isn't the word. It was a lot of disinformation and attacking liberals in a very dangerous, dangerous way. It's a more accurate way of describing what took place. But frankly, that language is mimicking and encouraging what we're seeing from right wing accounts right now, whether it's libs of TikTok saying this is war or saying the Democrat Party must be classified as a domestic terrorist organization and their members and leaders treated according accordingly. Enough is enough says Joey Monorino. You had Laura Loomer's account saying that Democrats are terrorists and a bunch of other accounts saying that, oh, we should send the Air Force to eradicate Democrats or round the efforts up. You don't even have the facts, by the way, of who was involved in the shooting. So Cash Patel, who runs the FBI got it wrong twice where they brought in a suspect. First, not the right suspect, they let him out. Another person, Cash Patel, posted on social media, we got the guy was not the guy. I think the guy had a pellet gun. Not a gun that was capable of doing the assassination. You don't know the facts. And so the right away though, the way the right wing uses this, weaponizes it, says the Dems did this, the liberals did this. Get rid of them. Eradicate, exterminate the. They use that language, I mean, is horrific. You know, where I stood on the Midas Touch network and where I stand right now, we condemn the in the fullest terms possible, in the strongest terms possible, political violence. Regardless of my views of Charlie Kirk and how I think Charlie Kirk has some of the most hurtful and hateful ideology. And the things that he said were horrific. And my disagreements with him were very, very strong. The way you handle your disagreements is not through political violence. Like Adam Mockler from our network was preparing to debate Charlie Kirk next week. They had an event that they were going to be doing together where there was going to be a debate because that's how it should still work in the United States of America, regardless of my views that the stuff that Charlie Kirk would say are heinous and horrific stuff that he said. I condemn political violence. But all you have now is, I think, Democrats by and large saying that. And then you have these statements from right wing accounts basically saying eradicate. I mean, really dangerous, dangerous language. I mean, here's what Nancy Mace said outside of the Capitol. And I give a, I give credit to this reporter Ryan Nobles for pressing her on the right question here, saying. So if you're saying Democrats were responsible for this, we don't know who the assassin is right now. Number one, how do you know it's not like a right wing person who doesn't have certain other views, you know, that he disagreed with? How do you, how do you know any. We don't know. So why are you even saying that? But then we know that Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, was killed in a political assassination by a Republican. So what's your response there, Nancy Mace?

[Interviewer]

I'm going to say this. Democrats own what happened today. I am devastated. My kids have called panicking. They probably all the kids of every conservative in the country called panicking. Just because you speak your mind on an issue doesn't mean you get shot.

[Donald Trump]

Then do.

[Podcast Host]

By that logic, do Republicans own the.

[Pete Hegseth]

Shooting of the two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota?

[Podcast Host]

Isn't this, isn't this on both sides?

[Interviewer]

Are you kidding me?

[Podcast Host]

No, I'm asking.

[Interviewer]

We don't know what condition Charlie Kirk is in right now. Some raging leftist lunatic put a bullet through his neck. And you want to talk about Republicans right now?

[Podcast Host]

No, no, I'm asking.

[Interviewer]

You said the Democrats, Democrats own this. But isn't there a problem with political violence across the spectrum? Yeah, we're talking about Charlie Kirk right now. That's the subject of this, that we're talking about right now. Democrats own this 100%.

[Podcast Host]

Then you have MAGA Mike Johnson being asked what he thinks and he also spreads this rhetoric about, oh, it's Democrats with big influencer accounts. They're the ones responsible for this. Here, play this clip.

[MAGA Mike Johnson]

It's clear. You've had people who have resorted to political violence because they were encouraged along by the dialogue out in the public square. And some of that is put forward by elected officials and people with large platforms, large social media platforms. And they're saying and doing things that make it personal. And people direct their anger to individuals. I mean, this is not who we are. We're better than this. We need to be setting an example as Americans.

[Podcast Host]

Then, for reasons that are unclear, you have Pete Hegseth, who calls himself the Secretary of War, speaks with the military about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I again, as Amanda Moore says, does anyone have a link to the eulogy video he surely made for Representative Melissa Hortman after she was assassinated? I can't find it. Why are you bringing our military in here? Play this clip.

[Pete Hegseth]

I'd also be remiss if I did not acknowledge why that flag is at half staff. We lost an incredible American today, a dear friend of mine. If you knew him, you love him. His name is Charlie Kirk. Taken by an assassin's bullet. Unfab, unfathomable.

[Podcast Host]

And then, by the way, this performative stuff though, is not helping. Right. I'm going to do a video in about 90 minutes. I encourage you to watch, which is how the FBI field office fired their leader, a Pakistani woman in Utah. She was running the FBI field office. Trump didn't want women and Muslims to be a part of it because she's a Pakistani woman. They got rid of her. She worked her entire life basically in the FBI. She rose through the ranks. She led counterterrorism out of D.C. and you got, you got rid of her, which could have been helpful to prevent situations like this from the outset because that's one of the things that FBI does. And then you screwed it up and said there were two suspects that were shooter and you got it wrong not once but twice. And you posted it on social media. In the video I'm going to make in 90 minutes that I want you to watch, I talk about the FBI lawsuit that was filed by the former acting director of the FBI, that guy Driscoll, along with other senior leaders who got fired because Trump didn't like that they were at the FBI when Trump was being investigated and they're like, we're the top FBI people that are here on counterterrorism issues. And R.E.M. remember they replaced those senior officials with some 22 year old intern, some guy named Thomas Fugate the third, who is no qualifications to be in the FBI, who's running the Domestic Terrorism Unit. I mean, that's, that's, that's horrible stuff right there. Now, I'll share with you some of the statements coming out from Democrats like Congressmember Raskin condemning another absolutely disgraceful act of gun violence. My thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk and his family and this terrible moment. And we're all to going grateful for first responders who immediately jumped into action. We must categorically reject all violence in our society. You have Senator Mark Kelly, whose wife, Gabrielle Giffords, of course, she was a victim of, of a shooting as well. He goes, the news that Charlie Kirk was shot while speaking in Utah is shocking and horrible. It's an example of political violence that has no place in our country. Gabby and I are thinking about him and, and his family. But meanwhile on fox, you have senators like Mark Wayne Mullen saying the following. Here, play this clip.

[Pete Hegseth]

They robbed a voice that, that spoke common sense because of their hatred to people that disagree with them, but yet they're the ones that try to champion free speech, but we're not the ones out there trying to silence them through violence. It's ridiculous. And I know, Sean, that I'm not the only one out there hurting and I'm not the only one that's upset by this. But when is enough, enough? When is the Democrats going to stand up and apologize for the hatred and the lies that they have fed their base that's led to these actions?

[Podcast Host]

Now, I'll show you what Donald Trump said in the Oval Office now, but I wanted to not include him at the outset of the video because I wanted to show you all of the facts about what's happening. And so here's what he said in the Oval Office and here's what they posted. Let's play it.

[Donald Trump]

For years, those on the radical 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, and it must stop right now. My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and, and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials and everyone else who brings order to our country. From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year, which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a health care executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others, radical left. Political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives.

[Podcast Host]

And that statement right there is horrific. It's dangerous. It is intended to incite violence. It is pretextual as a way to send the military like he wants to do, against Democrats and against liberals. That's their goal and objective. And there was no facts about who was the shooter as of last night. That that remains unknown. And I believe one of the reasons it remains unknown is because of the poor work being done by the FBI. That's my opinion. I don't know that for sure, but they've done very bad work on this so far. And it's not shocking when you realize that they fired their top people who were running that field office. You know, that's one of the things that I'm going to be covering. She is right here. What her name is? Her name is Metab Saeed, Pakistani American. They fired her a few weeks ago after putting her in the position in February. Anyway, let me know what you think. Hit subscribe let's get to 6 million subscribers. Thanks for watching. Be sure to add the Midas Touch podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast for new updates every single day.