Sarah K. Burris

Several people on the left and right have cheered the words of New York Times podcaster Ezra Klein, who heralded right-wing activist Charlie Kirk as "practicing politics the right way."

Others, however, say Klein's kind words and calls for non-violence ignore Kirk's frequent calls for different groups of people to be killed or oppressed. Kirk has called for trying doctors of transgender patients and suggested that men should "physically attack" trans people. He also claimed those in the LGBTQ community should be "stoned to death," and told women, "submit to your husband."

MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace sang Klein's praises, noting his "eloquent words." However, former FBI agent Michael Feinberg had a different take the more he thought about the column.

Feinberg, who is now a fellow for "Lawfare," was fired from the FBI because he was friends with Peter Strzok, whom Trump targeted as he was working on the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

"At first blush, I agreed with most of it. But the more I thought about it, and the more I reflected on what he was saying in the context of what I'd seen in my own career, I kind of have to push back a little bit against one of his assumptions," said Feinberg.

"What worries me is that there is a rising tide in America of people who are not necessarily invested in what so many of us call the 'American Experiment,' and believe very much in a post-liberal order. And I say that using the word 'liberal' in its, sort of, classical sense," he explained. "Just the enlightenment ideals of a democratic republic. And once people start believing and start disbelieving in the overall political architecture of our country, there are few guardrails to stop them from using violence. And I think we as a nation and the law enforcement community, in particular, is going to have to reckon with how we face that."

"What I mean to articulate is that as long as people on both the right and left or any other political divide you can imagine agree in the overall rules of the game, agree in the integrity of the system, political violence can generally be tamped down because people will use preexisting peaceful processes to settle their differences," continued Feinberg.

What he said is being seen more often, however, is that people develop a general distrust in the system itself.

"And once you don't trust the integrity of the system, you, sort of, have in your own mind the moral authority to transgress the boundaries it sets up. And that's what leads to violence," he concluded.

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According to Alex Jones, the far-right conspiracy theorist most known for alleging the Sandy Hook school shooting never happened, a book appeared on Amazon predicting the incident on the day before fellow right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed.

Jones showed the book titled "The Shooting of Charlie Kirk," which, according to the Internet Wayback Machine, was uploaded to Amazon Kindle and claimed it was published on Sept. 9, 2025. The day before the shooting.

According to Jones and others online, this proves something fishy was going on with the Kirk shooting.

Amazon Kindle allows for direct self-publishing for anyone who wants to upload a book to be available online. A guide for how to upload information shows that there is a "publication date" that can be self-entered by the author and a "submitted on" date, which is automatically added. The publication date is also on the list of "book details can be changed after publishing."

There is no information about the so-called author anywhere online, other than in discussions or reports about this particular conspiracy theory.

"Eyewitness Accounts In Utah Also Reveal People In The Crowd Claimed They Knew He Was About To Be Killed. Was This A Pre-Planned / Coordinated Event Designed To Trigger A New American Civil War?" Jones wrote on X.

The "book" is no longer available anywhere on Amazon, and there is no other book or information available from the "author."

The first mention of the "book" appeared on X at 11:22 a.m. EST on Sept. 11, 2025, according to the post's time stamp. It was then followed by a pro-MAGA account then a man named Don Draven.

Social media has been flooded with conservative comments targeting "liberals," "the left" and "Democrats" claiming that they are the source of radical political violence in the U.S. Those calling out fact-checks went ignored as everyone from U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to President Donald Trump alleged those on "the left" were responsible.

It infuriated Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who is retiring at the end of his term. Speaking to National Journal congressional policy reporter Nancy Vu, Tillis shamed those taking cheap shots and calling for a new war.

“What I was really disgusted by yesterday is a couple of talking heads that sees this as an opportunity to say we're at war so that they could get some of our conservative followers lathered up over this. It seems like a cheap, disgusting, awful way to pretend like you're a leader of a conservative movement. And there were two in particular that I found particularly disgusting," said Tillis.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) says she's going to start carrying a gun after far-right activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah event.

Kirk's slaying rocked the nation on Wednesday and rattled Mace enough for her to decide to arm herself and obtain security, NBC News reported Thursday.

“I will have a firearm on my person all the time, and I will have security,” Mace told reporters outside the Capitol.

She's experienced an uptick in violent threats since a floor fight with a House Democrat where Mace offered "to take it outside," she said. She asked if she could have additional protection from the Capitol Police and the House Sergeant at Arms.

After Kirk's slaying, Mace said she wants local police to patrol her office, too.

"People are scared to death in this building. I mean, not many of them will say it publicly, but they’re running to the speaker talking about security, and that’s a lot of Republicans in there. People are scared, really scared," Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who two years ago threatened to punch a labor leader in the face, asked that Senators be given security while they're in their home states, Huffington Post political reporter Igor Bobic said on X. Mullin acknowledged it would likely necessitate a pilot program first.

The problem, NBC News said, is that threats against officials were already on the rise.

"By the end of this calendar year, the U.S. Capitol Police said it is on track to work through 14,000 threat assessment cases involving members, up from 9,000 last year," the report cited.

But it was only the assassination earlier this year that prompted security at the U.S. Capitol to act.

After leading Democrats in Minnesota were shot, with two killed, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said, “We had the first all-senators security briefing that I can recall in 13 years here."

The House Sergeant at Arms said that members could have funds for security, but that funding runs out at the end of the fiscal year, later this month, the report noted.

There have been numerous violent incidents involving lawmakers.

Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) was nearly killed after she was shot in the head at an event back home in her district in 2011. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) was shot during practice for the congressional baseball game.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was attacked by his neighbor, and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was punched and grabbed by the neck while in an elevator.

Additionally, a man broke into the home of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) with plans to kidnap her. Instead, he brutally beat Pelosi's husband with a hammer.

President Donald Trump twice faced assassination attempts, even with U.S. Secret Service protection.

Read the full report here.

The shooting death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has prompted a flood of threats from conservatives toward those on the left, including one person known for holding debates with Kirk.

Twitch streamer and influencer Hasan Piker was scheduled to debate Kirk at Dartmouth Political Union in a few weeks. Piker's feed is filled with threats against him — enough to make him want to pause his public events until people calm down.

Speaking to Politico Magazine, Piker acknowledged that it's "one fear that’s always in the back of your mind when you engage in any sort of political advocacy when you do these events."

"I received death threats even before this, all the time, nonstop," he explained. 'It’s almost seen as a part of the industry."

Death threats aren't new to him, just as they weren't to Kirk, but "watching that unfold in real time was devastating," he said.

He will likely give some time for the "temperature to lower a little bit," and hopes to continue doing events similar to those he did with Kirk.

"While it feels like there’s an air of vengeance right now, with a lot of people immediately being like, 'Well, we got to go and kill people,' even naming myself and saying, 'We’re going to go kill Hasan in retaliation,' there are a lot of people that are just very angry and frustrated, and want to redirect it toward those who they believe are responsible for this," said Piker.

"There’s a social contract that everyone abides by," he continued. "When they consistently feel like that social contract is getting violated with regular frequency, oftentimes due to the structural violence that they experience — poverty, things of that nature, the affordability crisis that people are experiencing, housing is incredibly costly, health care is incredibly costly. The only method of upward social mobility throughout history has been to get a college education. That’s incredibly costly. Everything seems unaffordable."

"Everything seems worse than it was for the previous generation," Piker added. "And I think that’s what we have to solve. If we don’t solve that, people are going to continue to grow frustrated and angry. People are resentful. People are more malleable, more susceptible to radicalization and they are more willing to act out in a violent manner when they feel like there’s no hope, there’s no other option."

Read the full interview here.

A media briefing scheduled for Thursday by Utah police to give updates on the manhunt for the shooter of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was abruptly delayed.

According to an MSNBC report, the local law enforcement said that there are "rapid developments" in the case necessitating the delay, journalist Matthew Keys posted on X. Further details weren't immediately known.

The delay comes after law enforcement officials released a photo from the security videos identifying a person of interest in the shooting.

The FBI was offering $10,000 for anyone who provided information that led to the arrest of the shooter.

NBC News, White House correspondent Vaughn Hillyard reported that after far-right activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday, Washington had "come to a halt."

Speaking to MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, Hillyard said that, given the relationships that Kirk had with lawmakers, the attack has paused regular business as those on the right awaited the official word about Kirk's death.

"At this point, Nicolle, I think Washington, D.C. has effectively come to a halt. This is a moment where — Charlie Kirk is somebody who has ingratiated himself across not just this White House and this administration, but up on Capitol Hill and in state races around the country. For anybody who is in any way involved in and around MAGA politics, which is effectively today's Republican Party, you will have come across Charlie Kirk."

Hillyard went on to say that Kirk's organization has grown larger as MAGA gained steam.

"Charlie Kirk is somebody who had struck up close relationships and friendships with people that in the White House and of course, the president of the United States. JD Vance was somebody who was also a close friend, somebody Charlie Kirk was there traveling with him day to day in the final days of his primary campaign back in May of 2022. He had struck up a close friendship with Don Jr. He had struck up a close friendship with other key officials inside of this White House, and so in many ways, while he didn't work directly in the government, he was somebody who had pushed the Republican Party into making a MAGA future beyond even Donald Trump."

Wallace walked through some of the worst acts of political violence in the past several years, such as the kidnapping attempt on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), the two assassination attempts on Trump, the attempted kidnapping of Nancy Pelosi and assault of her husband, Paul, and the shooting and assassination of Minnesota lawmakers.

She asked Hillyard whether there was "any sense among your sources and the people you're talking to, that this is some sort of breaking point or tipping point in terms of coming out publicly and condemning political violence in all forms against all victims?"

Hillyard said that it was too early to know.

See the clip below or at the link here.

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President Donald Trump ordered the whole of government to lower flags to half-staff in honor of Charlie Kirk.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump announced, "In honor of Charlie Kirk, a truly Great American Patriot, I am ordering all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Sunday evening at 6 P.M."

Kirk died after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University.

Reports that Trump ally Charlie Kirk had died left two prominent conservative figures in tears.

Kirk died shortly after being shot at an event in Utah. Speaking to Glenn Beck after the incident, former Fox News host Megyn Kelly said that she trusted the outlets reporting it, but that she didn't want to believe it.

Kelly noted the statement from the New York Post after speaking to President Donald Trump in which Trump referred to Kirk in the past tense. Moments later, Trump confirmed that Kirk had passed away.

"There are news outlets reporting the worst right now, Glenn. I don't know what I'm waiting for," said Kelly.

She broke down in tears.

"There's no way that he survives that," Beck said, sobbing. "It had to have happened quickly."

"If you saw the video, you know it happened fast," agreed Kelly.

Beck said he asked a surgeon about it and that it appeared that the artery was severed, and he wasn't likely to survive.

"It looked like JFK," Kelly said, noting that he fell back and that the shot was in the neck.

"Obviously, 200 yards away, he was out there practicing. This f---er was out there practicing!" Kelly exclaimed.

NBC News reported that the shots came from about 200 feet away.

She went on to say that God sent Kirk to change the minds of Americans.

"God is not neutral in the affairs of man," Beck said, promising that something good would come from Kirk's shooting.

Kelly and Beck then agreed that every liberal must come out against the shooting. Beck specifically said he would be furious if the media moved on after only two days of reporting.

See the clip below or at the link here.

The Utah Valley University announced that the shooter of Turning Points USA president Charlie Kirk was not arrested.

A previous statement from the school said that one person was in custody, and a video of an older white man being detained was circulating with claims that he was the shooter.

However, the most recent statement from the University spokesperson said that no arrest has been made, The Deseret News reported.

"On September 10, 2025, at 12:20 a single shot rang out in the quad near the food court on the Utah Valley University Orem Campus as Mr. Charlie Kirk began speaking at his planned rally. We can confirm that Mr. Kirk was shot, but we don’t know his condition. The suspect is not in custody. Police are still investigating Campus is closed for the rest of the day," said Scott Trotter in a statement.

Turing Point USA leader Charlie Kirk was shot on Wednesday at Utah Valley University during an event. He was reportedly taking a question from the audience about shootings.

Fox News contributor and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who was at the event, said that Kirk spoke for several minutes before he took a question. The question was about the recent shooting by a person believed to be transgender.

"In the midst of that, a shot rang out," said a very shaken Chaffetz, his voice quivering.

He noted that Kirk had his own security that was in front of them, but that there was no additional security or any kind of metal detectors.

See the clip below or at the link here.

UPDATE: The man who was detained by police was not the shooter, and the university announced that no one has been arrested for the shooting.

Several videos emerged on social media on Wednesday of a Turning Point USA speech by Charlie Kirk in which he appeared to be shot in the neck.

A gunshot rang out at Utah Valley University as Kirk was about 20 minutes into his speech. Additional videos showed a huge crowd rushing for cover after hearing a gunshot.

An unverified video of Kirk being shot was uploaded to social media.

Attendees of the event wrongly claimed a white man was detained by police. The university said that the shooter is in custody. They have since withdrawn that statement.

See the videos below or at the link here.