The Tony Kinnett Cast - Ep. 395

Title: The Vultures Attacking Victims After the Transgender Terror Attack in Minneapolis
Host: Tony Kinnett (The Daily Signal)
Date: August 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on a tragic terror attack at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, in which a transgender shooter, identified as Robin (formerly Robert) Westman, killed two children and wounded numerous others. Host Tony Kinnett delivers detailed analysis of the incident, heavily critiques media and political responses, and explores broader trends around mental health, gender ideology, and public policy. Kinnett condemns what he characterizes as the politicization and obfuscation by left-leaning politicians and media, arguing that their avoidance of key facts and attacks on faith are emblematic of a broader cultural crisis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Summary of the Attack

• Incident details:
  • The shooter (Robin/Robert Westman, age 23), an openly transgender individual, targeted children and adults at a Catholic school during morning Mass.
  • Victims: 2 children killed, 14 children wounded (mostly in stable condition), 3 adults wounded (total of 19 victims).
  • Shooter's background: Possibly former student; mother was a staff member at the school.
• Motivation:
  • Manifesto(s) left behind included violent, anti-Christian, antisemitic, anti-Trump, and pro-transgender and pro-Palestinian messages.
  • Weaponry and magazines had phrases such as “kill Trump,” “for the children,” “destroy Israel,” and “six million wasn’t enough.”

“This is yet another shooting that was caused by an individual acting in favor, in interest of the transgender community, by a member of the transgender community who is severely mentally ill.”
— Tony Kinnett [06:38]

2. Eyewitness Testimony and Human Impact

• Interview with a student survivor:
  • A child recounted a peer’s bravery, protecting him and sustaining injuries as a result.
  • The emotional impact and confusion of survivors is highlighted.

“He was, like, laying on top of me, like, making sure I was safe, and he got hit. So that was really brave of him.”
— Young survivor [05:19]

• Kinnett offers prayers for victims and their families and laments that not all Americans share this sentiment.

“Blessed be the name of the Lord and the peace of God which passes all understanding be upon the students and their families.”
— Tony Kinnett [05:44]

3. Analysis of Manifesto and Media Suppression

• Details of the manifesto are discussed but not shown for sensitivity.
• Kinnett accuses media outlets of attempting to conceal motive, omitting important ideological context, and inconsistency in reporting pronouns and names.

“The guy released a video manifesto … It is widely believed at this point to be confirmed as the individual's manifesto.”
— Tony Kinnett [05:51]

• Producer Nick confirms parts of the manifesto are written in Russian or Cyrillic, complicating translation efforts.

— Producer Nick/Tony Kinnett [12:45]

4. Law Enforcement & Official Responses

• Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara:

  • Reluctant to share or acknowledge a clear motive, downplays ideological targeting.

  “Grossly, grossly incompetent … there was some sort of manifesto … our investigators are going through that.”
  — Tony Kinnett [10:38]

• FBI Director's Response:

  • Calls the event domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

  “They were investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.”
  — Tony Kinnett quoting FBI [12:59]

5. Reactions from Political Leaders

• Positive/Appropriate:
  • President Trump: Calls for prayers, orders flags at half-staff.
  • Senator Ilhan Omar: Offers condolences and prayers.
• Criticized Responses:
  • Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison: Focus on “gun violence,” avoid calling it an attack on Christians/Catholics or mentioning transgender identity.

  “It’s all gun violence. It’s the guns that did it.”
  — Tony Kinnett [15:28]

  • Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey: Downplays prayers, pivots to potential backlash against trans community.

  “Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.”
  — Mayor Jacob Frey [18:10]

  • Many Democrat leaders (Schumer, Jeffries, Newsom, Hirono, Warren, Pelosi, Sanders): Echo calls for “gun reform,” avoid mention of anti-Catholic/anti-Christian targeting or trans ideology.

6. Media Coverage and Critique

• ABC, MSNBC, CNN:

  • Omit critical details from the manifesto, especially anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and pro-trans/pro-Palestinian statements in discussing the shooter’s motivations.
  • Attempt to shift narrative to “radicalization,” “pain,” or solely “gun violence.”

• Tony Kinnett’s Critique:

  • Points out hypocrisy in how media instantly assigns motive in other cases (e.g., hate crimes against other minorities) but equivocates or stonewalls here.

  “On the gun … are very clear phrases that say exactly what this person was about. Pro trans stuff, pro Hamas, pro Palestine, anti Israel, anti Jewish stuff, and kill Trump. Gee, I wonder what his motive could be.”
  — Tony Kinnett [27:53]

• Notable Media Moments:

  • Trey Gowdy (Fox News): Claims shooter was probably a “young white male,” echoed by media at large, which Kinnett refutes based on factual profile [30:06].
  • Jen Psaki (ex-White House, X/Twitter): “Prayer is not freaking enough.”
  • Dana Bash (CNN): “Forget about thoughts and prayers. These kids were literally praying when they were murdered,” while guest Amy Klobuchar smiles—reaction heavily criticized by Kinnett [38:09].

7. Broader Themes: ‘Attacking Prayer’ and Ideological Divides

• Kinnett strongly condemns contemporary leftist discourse for belittling prayer and faith, specifically in the wake of attacks on Christians/Catholics.
• Criticizes what he sees as the affirmation of mental illness (i.e., transgenderism as a protected identity instead of a pathology), tying it explicitly to the propagation of violence.
• Points to declining trust and popularity for both Democratic leaders and mainstream media as a result of these disconnects.

“They lied to you. Blatantly. … Going after prayer, that's going to be really popular with Americans.”
— Tony Kinnett [44:40]

8. Key Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Pronouns, Names, and Media hypocrisy:

  “Either you are going to adhere to your own standards on the transgender pronoun issues, or you are not.”
  — Tony Kinnett [04:52]

• On Manifesto and Targeting:

  “He scrawled in white paint pen, a bunch of phrases on the rifle and the magazines from the shooting that said, kill Trump … destroy Israel, ‘six million wasn't enough.' That’s obviously in reference to the Holocaust.”
  — Tony Kinnett [06:09]

• On Response to Prayer:

  “Blessed be the name of the Lord and the peace of God which passes all understanding be upon the students and their families.”
  — Tony Kinnett [05:44] “Why go after prayer? … they got very upset really quickly that people started noticing the pattern of mentally ill individuals who have been fear mongered to …”
  — Tony Kinnett [19:10]

• On Media Double-Standards:

  “I guarantee you if this was a … person shot, there was not 32 seconds that went by before the media immediately knew all of the motive. … But all of the sudden, oh, man, I just, I don't possibly know what this could be.”
  — Tony Kinnett [27:43]

• On Democrats and the Decline of Popularity:

  “And they wonder, the Democrat, they wonder why their approval rating sinks every single day. … because they genuinely, overtly hold immense disdain for the majority of people in this country and they express it clearly each and every day.”
  — Tony Kinnett [38:54]

9. Polling and Political Fallout

• Segment with Harry Enten (CNN):
  • The Democratic Party brand is at historic lows in swing states; Republican registrations are rising [52:19].
• Kinnett attributes this in part to perceived failures on crime, disregard for Christian constituents, and controversial stances on gender and identity.

10. Other News

• Brief coverage of:
  • Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook suing President Trump over removal [44:40]
  • Federal court rulings in Wisconsin regarding cooperation with ICE [45:00]
  • RICO investigation suggestions for George and Alex Soros [45:30]
  • D.C. crime rates and National Guard deployment, contrasting local vs. federal statements [56:00]
  • Upcoming Virginia gubernatorial election and issues of public safety/immigration [54:10]

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “He was, like, laying on top of me... and he got hit. So that was really brave of him.” — Survivor, [05:19]
• “Kill Trump … for the children … destroy Israel … six million wasn’t enough.” — Tony Kinnett (quoting manifesto), [06:09]
• “It’s the guns that did it.” — Tony Kinnett on AG Keith Ellison’s stance, [15:28]
• “Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers... these kids were literally praying.” — Jacob Frey (Mayor), [18:10]
• “On the gun, in the magazines, in white paint marker ... are very clear phrases that say exactly what this person was about.” — Tony Kinnett, [27:53]
• “Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayers does not end school shootings.” — Jen Psaki (quoted by Kinnett), [36:30]
• “Democratic brand right now has about the appeal with the American voter as the cracker barrel rebrand has with the American consumers. Bad, bad, bad.” — Harry Enten (CNN), [52:19]

Conclusion

Kinnett closes by denouncing what he sees as willful blindness and moral blustering from politicians and the press after the tragedy. He argues that their unwillingness to confront the realities of mental illness, hostile acts against Christians, and the dangers of affirming unstable identities are isolating large swathes of the American public. The episode’s title—"The Vultures Attacking Victims"—refers not only to the killer, but to media and political leaders whom Kinnett accuses of exploiting and misreporting the suffering of victims for ideological purposes.

For listeners:

• The episode functions as both a comprehensive report on the tragically violent event and a polemic on how such crises are handled by the country's institutions, media, and political apparatus.
• The content and commentary are intense, at times emotional, and maintain Kinnett’s signature unapologetic, conservative, and faith-centric tone throughout.