Legacy media outlets appear to have absolutely zero curiosity when it comes to the text-message scandal building around Jay Jones — the current Democratic nominee for state attorney general in Virginia — as evidenced by the glaring lack of coverage they gave it on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
This week, what was most notable about media coverage across the networks was not where the spin was so mush as where it wasn&#8217;t. Less than 48 hours had passed since the texts — sent by Jones in 2022 and containing overt statements advocating for the assassination of a political opponent — went viral, and in that time, not one national Democrat had publicly condemned Jones or called for him to step out of the race. Despite all that, not one host of one show — &#8220;This Week&#8221; on ABC, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; on CBS, &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; on NBC, or &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; on CNN — raised the question with their guests.
The topic did come up once — on &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; — but it was one of the guests who mentioned it during a panel discussion. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-biden-adviser-blows-off-despicable-jay-jones-texts-a-private-conversation">Marc Short</a>, who served as former Vice President Mike Pence&#8217;s chief of staff, mentioned Jones in the context of the many Democrats who had spent days in a public group meltdown over a few memes featuring House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero.
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BONKERS. Neera Tanden excuses Virginia Democrat AG candidate Jay Jones calling for the assassination of a Republican leader and his kids as just merely just a “private conversation.”
Utterly disgraceful. 🤡🤡🤡🤡 
<a href="https://t.co/N5KEyFZHPU">pic.twitter.com/N5KEyFZHPU</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1974871008147616176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Can we stop with the pearl-clutching about the mean tweets and the sombrero tweets?” he asked. “This week it came to light that a Democrat candidate for attorney general in the state of Virginia called for the assassination of a political opponent, called for the assassination of that political opponent’s family, and there’s not one national Democrat calling for him to step aside — not one! It’s disgraceful.”
Host Kristen Welker conceded that the text scandal was likely to become a bigger story — but gave no insight as to why, if she believed that to be true, she had not raised the question herself. She then pivoted to Neera Tanden, who worked in former President Joe Biden&#8217;s White House, to address the situation.
&#8220;I mean, I absolutely think people should criticize that, 100%,” Tanden began, but then almost immediately attempted to turn the argument back on President Donald Trump. &#8220;I think it was a private conversation he had, but still awful and disgusting … it should be condemned, but then we should condemn that, but then you should condemn when the president calls the Democratic Party the ‘party of satan.&#8217;”
After some cross talk from both Short and Tanden, Short once again stressed his original point: that not one national Democrat had come out to condemn Jones or call for his resignation.
&#8220;The fact that not one Democrat has stood up when he called for a political assassination in this moment of political violence is crazy,&#8221; he said.
Jones had sent the texts in question three years earlier, in 2022, calling for former state House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-VA) to be murdered. “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones texted to Del. Carrie Coyner (R) at the time. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
In other messages, he&#8217;d also claimed that Gilbert would not change his political positions unless he and his wife had to watch one of their children die — and that he&#8217;d attend the funerals of Republican lawmakers in order to &#8220;piss on their graves.&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance also noted the lack of Democrats distancing themselves from Jones and his vile text messages, saying, &#8220;The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages. I&#8217;m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race.&#8221;
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The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages. I&#8217;m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race. <a href="https://t.co/ZapsWc9VFG">https://t.co/ZapsWc9VFG</a>
— JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1974549343744205204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-funny-trump-trashes-jay-jones-over-sick-and-demented-texts-advocating-political-violence">President Trump</a> also called for Jones to exit the race &#8220;immediately,&#8221; endorsing his opponent Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA) and adding, &#8220;It has just come out that the Radical Left Lunatic, Jay Jones, who is running against Jason Miyares, the GREAT Attorney General in Virginia, made SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all, which were not funny, and that he wrote down and sent around to people, concerning the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife, and their children.&#8221;
And in the state of Virginia, the situation is even worse — in addition to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-dems-say-candidate-who-fantasized-about-murdering-gop-leader-is-better-than-republicans">not condemning Jones</a>, a number have either remained entirely silent on the issue or have come out and said that no matter what he&#8217;d said in the past, the current race was too important to allow a Republican to win.
<a href="https://x.com/jaaavis/status/1974237981268381718?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louise Lucas</a>, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate and a marijuana dispensary co-owner, said in a statement, “There is no place for political violence or violent rhetoric in our public discourse, and Jay must take accountability for his actions. But we will not allow this moment to overshadow the stakes of this election. … The choice before us is far bigger than this mistake.”

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) campaigns as the Democratic nominee in the Virginia’s governor’s race.

Spin Cycle: Jay Who? Sunday Shows Black Out Dem Scandal Rocking Virginia

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CNN anchors John Berman and Kaitlan Collins appeared to have trouble wrapping their brains around the Trump administration&#8217;s willingness to defend — and even embrace — a meme they described as &#8220;racist&#8221; without any apparent concern about the repercussions for doing so.
Berman raised the topic during a Wednesday conversation with Collins, noting that the meme in question — an AI-doctored video that featured House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero — had been on full display at the White House briefing room.
WATCH:
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CNN’s Kaitlan Collins can’t believe the Trump admin is doubling down with memes and mariachi music in the WH briefing room:
“They simply don’t care about the criticism.&#8221;
Correct — and that&#8217;s exactly what’s driving the propaganda press insane. They&#8217;re powerless. <a href="https://t.co/hduEvgFT3q">pic.twitter.com/hduEvgFT3q</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1973547503942508844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;So we played sound from Vice President Vance not just defending that AI racist video of Minority Leader Jeffries wearing a sombrero, but also, like celebrating that video, and it was playing on a loop in the briefing room today,&#8221; Berman said, turning to Collins: &#8220;What are you hearing from the inside about that?&#8221;
Collins set the scene for Berman, saying that in addition to the video being played on a loop, the mariachi music from the video had been piped through the room&#8217;s sound system so that everyone could hear it.
&#8220;It just kind of gives you a window, John, into how they&#8217;re dealing with this,&#8221; Collins continued. &#8220;And how they believe they have the upper hand when it comes to the messaging here and also kind of how things have changed from the first time Donald Trump was in office.&#8221;
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&#8220;I mean, there was a shutdown then, I remember all 35 days of it, as the president said at the beginning he&#8217;d be &#8216;proud to shut the government down,&#8217; and that it ended with him obviously not getting the money for his border wall,&#8221; she added. &#8220;This time, you know, there&#8217;s a moment here, they&#8217;re being heavily criticized over this — over these posts by the president — by Democrats, and instead of backing off or apologizing for it, they&#8217;re leaning into it. They&#8217;re playing the music over loudspeakers and on repeat inside the briefing room because they simply don&#8217;t care about that criticism.&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance, when asked about the memes, gave his word that the sombrero memes would stop if and when Jeffries helped put an end to the government shutdown, which was triggered on Tuesday when Democrats refused to vote for a stopgap funding measure unless they got certain concessions.

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As a government shutdown looms in the very near future, the topic at the forefront of discussions across the Sunday morning political talk shows was funding the government: who is holding the most leverage, who — if anyone — is willing to budge, and what will happen if they can&#8217;t come to an agreement?
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
After previously canceling a meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — and declaring their demands for a potential deal to be &#8220;ridiculous,&#8221; Trump has reportedly agreed to a rescheduled meeting to discuss plans to avoid a shutdown. Republicans and Democrats alike addressed what such a deal might look like — and thus far, a consensus it is not.
Jeffries, for example, told ABC News host Martha Raddatz on &#8220;This Week&#8221; that he was willing to sit down with anyone who was interested in finding a path forward to funding the government.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,&#8221; he said.
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“We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc">https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc</a> <a href="https://t.co/tWvRtrkObC">pic.twitter.com/tWvRtrkObC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972304860528722211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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But in the same interview, he badmouthed the people he claimed to be ready to work with, saying they&#8217;d &#8220;behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda.&#8221;
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Republicans have “behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/FrrprqmxbC">pic.twitter.com/FrrprqmxbC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305063549800536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And then he flipped back, saying once again that he wanted to work with the Republicans he&#8217;d just referred to as &#8220;rubber stamps&#8221; for an &#8220;extreme agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,&#8221; he said.
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“We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/IOdlC4TrET">pic.twitter.com/IOdlC4TrET</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305251743973649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) made it clear that he believed Republicans — who hold a slim majority — had the advantage and did not plan to make unnecessary concessions.
&#8220;I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision,&#8221; he told Raddatz, adding that he still believed there was time for them to reach a deal.
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says “there’s still time” to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.
“I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision.” <a href="https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3">https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3</a> <a href="https://t.co/0hmyU6JT1Y">pic.twitter.com/0hmyU6JT1Y</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972314405963510038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; opened with a statement from President Trump — who said that unless Democrats are willing to move on several key issues, the government is likely to shut down.
&#8220;I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,&#8221; he said.
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NEW THIS MORNING: President Trump tells <a href="https://twitter.com/costareports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@costareports</a> the government is likely to shut down this week unless top Democrats address his concerns on immigration and health care, and says both parties are now at a stalemate.
“I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,”… <a href="https://t.co/VdLXd7Qxl0">pic.twitter.com/VdLXd7Qxl0</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1972313362793943395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) made it clear that Republicans did not plan to give an inch — and that Democrats were just going to have to come around.
&#8220;The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else,&#8221; he said.
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The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else. <a href="https://t.co/ESOndRHAO9">pic.twitter.com/ESOndRHAO9</a>
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1972326146139467887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Schumer, who has apparently learned his lesson after he worked with Republicans to avert the last potential government shutdown, also appeared on the NBC Sunday morning show and insisted that Republicans were &#8220;feeling the heat&#8221; and would soon give in to Democrats&#8217; demands.
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Republican Senators, Representatives, and even Donald Trump are feeling the heat to do something about the horrible health care crisis they’ve created. <a href="https://t.co/20SG3sKiX1">pic.twitter.com/20SG3sKiX1</a>
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1972349160717205796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined host Jake Tapper on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where he called on members of his party to &#8220;hold the line.&#8221;
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Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen calls on his party to “hold the line” in government funding fight. <a href="https://t.co/0nn9wg5v7w">pic.twitter.com/0nn9wg5v7w</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311184863813768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Van Hollen, who made a name for himself when he left his own constituents twisting in the wind while he flew to El Salvador to advocate for a deported MS-13 gang member, then snarked at President Trump and suggested he&#8217;d previously refused to meet with congressional leaders because he was too busy golfing.
&#8220;It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk,&#8221; he said.
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Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Trump’s meeting with Democratic leaders ahead of shutdown deadline: “It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk.” <a href="https://t.co/gjjckTkaZa">pic.twitter.com/gjjckTkaZa</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311038612643938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump explained days earlier that he&#8217;d <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/do-the-right-thing-trump-axes-meeting-with-radical-dems-calls-for-realistic-terms">called off a planned meeting</a> because the demands put forth by the Democrats at the time had been unrealistic.

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won’t They (Shut Everything Down)?

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won't They (Shut Everything Down)?

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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper on Sunday and defended the recent indictment of former FBI head James Comey.
Tapper pressed Johnson on the indictment, asking if it was proper for a president “to publicly or privately instruct their Attorney General to prosecute a political opponent,” but Johnson pushed back.
“As a constitutional attorney and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, do you believe it&#8217;s acceptable for any president to publicly or privately instruct their attorney general to prosecute a political opponent and go as far as firing a U.S. attorney if they don’t bring charges because they don’t think the case is strong enough?” Tapper asked.
Johnson rebutted Tapper, noting that it wasn’t the president who indicted Comey, but a grand jury of his peers.
“I’m glad you brought up the principle, that is exactly what’s at issue here. James Comey lied to Congress. He took an oath. He said things to Congress that were simply not true. It’s called perjury. A grand jury … a non-partisan, non-biased grand jury that was assembled looked at the charges and they agreed. They voted to bring an indictment of James Comey &#8212; not President Trump, not the DOJ, but a grand jury,” Johnson said. “That’s how our system works. It’s a very important principle for us to apply that everybody has to subscribe to the law — even a former FBI director. And he has lots to answer for.”
Johnson added that there were “many things” over which Comey could have been indicted, but the statutes of limitations ran out.
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CNN’s Jake Tapper: “As a constitutional attorney and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, do you believe it&#8217;s acceptable for any president to publicly or privately instruct their Attorney General to prosecute a political opponent and go as far as firing a US attorney if… <a href="https://t.co/8fE3Fk04pi">pic.twitter.com/8fE3Fk04pi</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWave_Press/status/1972291949630497196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Comey was indicted on Thursday by a grand jury for allegedly lying under oath.
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The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comey-indicted-for-lying-to-congress-no-one-is-above-the-law?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Comey+Indicted+For+Lying+To+Congress%3A+‘No+One+Is+Above+The+Law’">indictment</a> stems from statements the former FBI head made to Congress in September 2020 when he testified regarding his handling of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to the <a href="https://x.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1971357752443404605">indictment</a>. Comey’s indictment comes just days ahead of a major deadline: September 30, when the statute of limitations was set to expire on claims made by Comey during the 2020 hearing.
Comey is the first former senior administration official to be indicted in connection with the Russian collusion conspiracy and the FBI investigation into false ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

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WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel shared on Thursday that the gunman who opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas yesterday had searched online for apps that tracked the locations of ICE agents.
Such apps are a &#8220;casting call to invite bad actors to attack law enforcement officers,&#8221; Marcos Charles, ICE&#8217;s Acting Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations, said at a Thursday press conference. &#8220;It&#8217;s no different than giving the hit man the location of their intended target, and this is exactly what we saw happen in Dallas yesterday.&#8221;
Charles called out mainstream media outlets for amplifying these apps, lamenting that &#8220;The media has been amplifying these apps even as we warned them it would only lead to more attacks on law enforcement.&#8221;
&#8220;We truly wish we didn&#8217;t have to say we told you so, but here we are.&#8221;
CNN came under fire earlier this year for its coverage of one such app, &#8220;ICE Block.&#8221; CNN&#8217;s story and segment dove into the intricacies of the app, sharing how it allows users to report ICE sightings and pinpoint the locations of federal agents in order to help illegal aliens avoid arrest.
Users could be anonymous, CNN noted.
&#8220;‘I wanted to do something to fight back’: This iPhone app alerts users to nearby ICE sightings,&#8221; reads the headline of CNN reporter Claire Duffy&#8217;s piece.  Her coverage shares that &#8220;users can add a pin on a map showing where they spotted agents — along with optional notes, like what officers were wearing or what kind of car they were driving,&#8221; adding: &#8220;Other users within a five-mile radius will then receive a push alert notifying them of the sighting.&#8221;
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🚨NEW—CNN pushes new app &#8220;ICEBlock&#8221; meant to &#8220;track ICE activity in real time,&#8221; alerting illegal aliens before they are detained and deported.
The app is completely free and anonymous to use. <a href="https://t.co/f142PBR9Bo">pic.twitter.com/f142PBR9Bo</a>
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1939691690614267986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
ICE officials said in June that CNN&#8217;s segment endangered the lives of federal agents, and, pressed by The Daily Wire about the matter during a June press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that the app sounded like &#8220;an incitement of further violence against our ICE officers.&#8221;
“It’s unacceptable that a major network would promote such an app that is encouraging violence against law enforcement officers who are trying to keep our country safe,&#8221; Leavitt said in June. The White House&#8217;s opposition to the coverage drew fire from liberal media outlets like MSNBC — which criticized the Trump administration and also interviewed ICE Block founder Joshua Aaron &#8220;to share his motive behind creating the app and why he&#8217;s not afraid of retaliation from the administration.&#8221;
On Thursday, following the tragic shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, Leavitt slammed CNN once again.
&#8220;Three months ago, CNN irresponsibly gave free publicity to an app that recklessly shares the location of ICE Agents,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;It has now been revealed the leftist lunatic shooter who opened fire on the Dallas ICE Facility was using one of these apps.&#8221; 
&#8220;The liberal media is complicit in the increased threats and violence against ICE,&#8221; Leavitt argued. &#8220;We see it every day — they are quick to write a fake story portraying ICE in a negative light, often omitting the real facts of these cases, and they hardly ever write about the vicious criminals that ICE is arresting every day to make our country safer.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryMargOlohan</a> asks <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> about CNN&#8217;s promotion of &#8220;ICEBlock&#8221;, an app that tells you where ICE agents are:
LEAVITT: &#8220;It&#8217;s unacceptable that a major network would promote such an app that is encouraging violence against officers who are trying to keep our country safe.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Bkd8RpJYqJ">pic.twitter.com/Bkd8RpJYqJ</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1939751696042782869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;This is an app that is publicly available to any iPhone user who wants to download it,&#8221; a CNN spokesman told The Daily Wire Thursday. &#8220;There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other app, nor does such reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN.&#8221;
In June, a spokesman defended the network&#8217;s coverage, saying in a statement that it &#8220;reported on a publicly available app, which is generating attention across the United States, and reached out to ICE for comment prior to publication,&#8221; and noting that &#8220;after CNN published its reporting, ICE posted a response, which is now included in the story.&#8221;
On Wednesday, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn opened fire on the Dallas ICE facility from a nearby rooftop. He killed one illegal immigrant detainee and injured two others before killing himself. FBI Director Patel said Thursday that FBI Dallas and FBI headquarters have been &#8220;working 24/7 to seize devices, exploit data, and process writings obtained on location and in the subject&#8217;s person/residence/bedroom.&#8221;
&#8220;This FBI is committed to providing timely updates, as promised,&#8221; Patel said, before sharing that &#8220;The perp downloaded a document titled &#8216;Dallas County Office of Homeland Security &amp; Emergency Management&#8217; containing a list of DHS facilities,&#8221; and noting that the killer &#8220;conducted multiple searches of ballistics and the &#8216;Charlie Kirk Shot Video&#8217; between 9/23-9/24.&#8221;
&#8220;Between 8/19-8/24,&#8221; Patel shared, &#8220;he searched apps that tracked the presence of ICE agents.&#8221;
One of the handwritten notes that the shooter left behind, said Patel, read: &#8220;Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, &#8216;is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?&#8221;
Patel concluded that &#8220;further accumulated evidence to this point indicates a high degree of pre-attack planning,&#8221; promising further updates when available.&#8221;

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Holds Press Briefing

Liberal Media Highlighted Anti-ICE Apps. A Murderer Used The Apps To Kill.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Karoline Leavitt

kash patel

CNN data guru Harry Enten broke down the major issues facing American voters as the 2026 midterm elections approach, and on nearly every issue, he had more bad news for Democrats.
Enten laid out the latest numbers on everything from crime to the economy to immigration — and had to pause to exclaim, &#8220;My goodness gracious!&#8221; — as he asked Democrats what they were doing to change the trajectory of their party.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: CNN&#8217;s Harry Enten spells out GOP *ADVANTAGES* in midterms🚨
&#8220;Who leads on the economy? Republicans by 7! Immigration? Republicans by 13! How about crime? A big issue for Donald Trump and the Republicans. Look at that: lead by 22 points!&#8221;
&#8220;What are you doing, Democrats!?… <a href="https://t.co/iSRxpatIFS">pic.twitter.com/iSRxpatIFS</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1970144855318823058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Enten spoke with anchor Kate Bolduan about the state of things, and he got more and more animated as he laid out the split between the parties on each additional issue.
&#8220;What are we seeing? You know, Donald Trump being underwater, Democrats are, &#8216;oh, this guarantees us, we&#8217;re gonna fly high in the midterms.&#8217; Let me tell you, this guarantees you nothing. Nothing. Because at this particular point, the Democrats are the New Orleans Saints of political parties,&#8221; Enten said, invoking the 0-and-3 record of the Louisiana NFL team.
&#8220;What are we talking about?&#8221; Enten went on to show which party Americans trusted more to handle major issues. &#8220;Trust the Dems or the GOP more on the economy? Who leads on the economy? Republicans by 7! Immigration? Republicans by 13! How about crime? A big issue for Donald Trump and the Republicans. Look at that: lead by 22 points!&#8221;
&#8220;So the bottom line is this,&#8221; he declared. &#8220;At this particular point, the ball may be on the ground, but the Democrats have not picked up the ball and run with it. If anything, at this particular point, it&#8217;s the Republicans who are running with the ball on the top issues: the economy, immigration, and crime.&#8221;
Bolduan asked Enten to make a comparison between the current polling and the polling ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, when Republicans gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
&#8220;This kind of gives away the game,&#8221; Enten observed as he noted that Republicans had been ahead on the same issues in 2022: they were up by 12 points on the economy, by 3 points on immigration, and by 13 points on crime.
Enten noted that while the Republican lead on the economy was slightly lower, the party&#8217;s lead on the two other major issues had grown by wider margins.
&#8220;How about immigration? It was Republicans by three back in 2022,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Look at this! The Republican lead&#8217;s actually gone up by ten points. What are you doing, Democrats?! My goodness gracious! And on crime, Republicans were up by 13, now they&#8217;re up by 22, their lead again expanding by nearly double digits!&#8221;
&#8220;So whatever Democrats are doing, it ain&#8217;t working, Kate!&#8221; Enten exclaimed.

Political Parties Photo Illustrations

Why Even CNN’s Analyst Thinks GOP Has Upper Hand In Midterm

2026 Midterms

Harry Enten

Polls

Republicans

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) reminded the audience on Sunday that she was the real victim of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk&#8217;s rhetoric, explaining to CNN anchor Dana Bash that this was why she could not support the House Resolution condemning his assassination.
Crockett joined Bash on Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; to explain why she&#8217;d voted no — and she went on to equate Kirk with &#8220;confederate relics&#8221; and complaining that not enough white people had voted no along with her.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
HOLD MY BEER, ILAN: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) refers to Charlie Kirk as a &#8220;New Age (Confederate) relic&#8221; while explaining her &#8220;no&#8221; vote on the memorial resolution passed by the House. <a href="https://t.co/av4mHQhL6V">pic.twitter.com/av4mHQhL6V</a>
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) <a href="https://twitter.com/BonillaJL/status/1969762255521632617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bash raised the topic of the House resolution, noting that Crockett had been among the 58 Democrats who voted no, and asked her about it.
Crockett began by complaining that only two of the &#8220;no&#8221; votes had been from white members of congress, adding, &#8220;honestly that hurts my heart.&#8221;
&#8220;The rhetoric that Charlie Kirk continuously put out there was rhetoric that specifically targeted people of color,&#8221; she claimed, and although she gave no evidence to back up that claim, Bash offered no challenge. &#8220;And so it is unfortunate that even our colleagues could not see how harmful his rhetoric was specifically to us. And I can tell you that a month prior to him passing away, he had actually gotten out on his podcast and he was talking negatively about me directly.&#8221;
&#8220;So if there was any way that I was going to honor somebody who decided that they were just going to negatively talk about me and proclaim that I was somehow involved in the great white replacement?&#8221; she continued. &#8220;Yeah, I‘m not honoring that kind of stuff, especially as a civil rights attorney and … knowing that there were people that died, people that were willing to die, that worked to make sure that voices like mine could exist in this place.&#8221;
&#8220;So to me, just like we wanted to make sure that those Confederate relics were taken down, the idea of a new age relic being propped up was something that I just could not subscribe to. And it is unfortunate that more of my colleagues, even on my side of the aisle, could not see the amount of harm that this man was attempting to inflict upon our communities,&#8221; Crockett concluded.
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings fired back at Crockett later in the day, saying, &#8220;Charlie Kirk targeted NOBOBY [sic]. He was not racist in any way.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 JUST IN: Scott Jennings FIRES BACK at Jasmine Crockett who claimed Charlie Kirk was racist &#8211; and got zero pushback from CNN&#8217;s Dana Bash. <a href="https://t.co/ZeftWo65f9">pic.twitter.com/ZeftWo65f9</a>
&#8220;Charlie Kirk targeted NOBOBY. He was not racist in ANY WAY! I&#8217;ve listened to hours and hours and hours and hours…
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1969821248273137901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Jasmine Crockett

Jasmine Crockett Says She’s The Real Victim Of Charlie Kirk’s Rhetoric

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) refused to let it go when CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins claimed that no one could really speak to the motive in last week’s assassination of conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Cruz joined Collins to discuss the still-unfolding case after charges were officially filed against suspected assassin Tyler Robinson, 22, and text messages between Robinson and his live-in boyfriend — who is transitioning to identify as a woman — were released to the public.
“We don&#8217;t have a motive yet. We don&#8217;t know yet. We&#8217;re waiting,” Collins said, noting that several officials have spoken about the shooting and the subsequent arrest, as well as a number of interviews with people who knew Robinson.
“Of course we know. Come on. &#8216;We don&#8217;t have a motive yet. We know we don&#8217;t have a motive yet.&#8217; Really, that&#8217;s CNN&#8217;s position? He happened to fire the gun in celebration?!” Cruz pushed back.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH:
CNN&#8217;s Kaitlan Collins on the Charlie Kirk assassination: &#8220;We don&#8217;t have a motive yet. We don&#8217;t know yet. We&#8217;re waiting&#8230;&#8221;
Sen. Ted Cruz: &#8220;Of course we know. Come one. &#8216;We don&#8217;t have a motive yet. We know we don&#8217;t have a motive yet.&#8217; Really, that&#8217;s CNN&#8217;s position? He… <a href="https://t.co/n2ERQpoa73">pic.twitter.com/n2ERQpoa73</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1968130142867189846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Collins continued to claim that the motive was unknown, and Cruz continued to push back as the segment progressed.
“With all due respect. You know exactly what I&#8217;m saying. I&#8217;m not arguing with you politically. I&#8217;m saying that law enforcement has not put a specific motive. You know that there&#8217;s a difference of what they&#8217;re putting in a legal argument and what you&#8217;re talking about,” Collins argued.
“What you just said is false,” Cruz said, and the two continued to talk over each other before moving on to discuss political violence in more general terms.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DA: Charlie&#8217;s killer &#8220;had started to lean more to the left, becoming more pro-gay and trans rights oriented&#8221; &amp; was dating his transgender roommate.
The killer also wrote in a message: &#8220;I had enough of his hatred. Some hatred can&#8217;t be be negotiated out.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/5A3pinqBG6">pic.twitter.com/5A3pinqBG6</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1968283635536277910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As Cruz noted, the district attorney had said that Robinson had been radicalized with far-Left ideology. Robinson himself had allegedly told his roommate and boyfriend that he’d shot Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred. Some hatred can&#8217;t be negotiated out.”

Pam Bondi Swears In Kash Patel As FBI Director

‘That’s CNN’s Position?’: Ted Cruz Dismantles Kaitlan Collins Over Motive In Kirk Assassination

'That's CNN's Position?': Ted Cruz Dismantles Kaitlan Collins Over Motive In Kirk Assassination

Congress

Ted Cruz

Montel Williams attempted to paint suspected assassin Tyler Robinson as an emotionally-driven “love-torn child” who felt like killing conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was his only option.
Williams joined host Abby Phillip and a panel of other commentators on CNN’s “NewsNight” to discuss the still unfolding story about Robinson, his gender-transitioning live-in boyfriend, and the text messages the two exchanged after Robinson allegedly shot Kirk at Utah Valley University — and he argued that Robinson likely shot Kirk out of desperation because of his views on the relationship in which he was involved.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: Montel Williams on CNN Thunderdome says the suspect in the Charlie Kirk assassination was &#8220;a love-torn child&#8221; likely in the throes of &#8220;his first real relationship and someone was disparaging the person he loved&#8221; and thus not &#8220;motivated politically&#8221;&#8230;.
&#8220;There are people… <a href="https://t.co/hSuDLIfriw">pic.twitter.com/hSuDLIfriw</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1968142189436739606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“There are people who are trying to pigeonhole this as a leftist thing and a Right thing, and what we’re really talking about — hear me, because I&#8217;m going to throw you when I say this, we&#8217;re talking about a love-torn child, a kid,” Williams said despite the fact that Robinson is 22 years old. “This is probably his first real relationship. And somebody was disparaging the person that he loved.”
“He sat on that building for 30 minutes before he took the shot. Why do you wait until the first word trans came up? Then he took the shot,” Williams said, arguing that Robinson had been listening to Kirk’s event live and had waited until the first mention of the word “transgender” intentionally. “I think he could hear it.”
Williams went on to say that he believed the shooting had been rooted in emotion rather than politics, failing to acknowledge that the two can indeed intersect. “I think he also — I don’t believe he was motivated politically. I think this was motivated emotionally. I think this was an emotionally stunted person who literally, when I say it this way, just hear me, tried to defend his significant other, not trying to defend some ideology.”
Williams’ assessment came just hours after ABC reporter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abc-reporter-describes-suspects-texts-confessing-to-charlie-kirk-assassination-as-very-touching">Matt Gutman</a> took a wave of backlash for saying that the texts between Robinson and his boyfriend — which appeared to include an admission of guilt as well as detailed information about the weapon he allegedly used and where he left it — were “very touching” because Robinson also used the phrase “my love” when addressing his partner. Gutman later <a href="https://x.com/mattgutmanABC/status/1968261725943472448">apologized</a> on X.

27th Annual Family Film and TV Awards – Portraits

Montel Williams Tries To Paint Suspected Kirk Assassin As ‘Love-Torn Child’

Montel Williams Tries To Paint Suspected Assassin As ‘Love-Torn Child’

Celebrities

U.S.

The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has further exposed media bias, with outlets like MSNBC, CNN, and ABC labeling him “divisive” or “controversial” while downplaying leftist rhetoric that may have fueled violence. <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/09/12/charlie-kirks-murder-cheered-online-liberal-teachers">Posts by liberal school teachers cheering</a> Kirk’s death and comments from Democrat politicians like Jasmine Crockett and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker inciting unrest reveal a double standard. This tragedy may finally force the elite legacy media to confront the effect their far-left bias has had on America. Even before Kirk’s assassination, President Trump was pushing broadcasters to restore balance to heal the political divide, improve network viewership, and ensure the airwaves serve all Americans, aligning with the law and fostering fair discourse.
When Donald Trump descended the escalator in the summer of 2015, he put on center stage the fight that the Media Research Center (MRC) has been engaged in for nearly 40 years. While MRC may be the incumbent in this battle against media bias, the president deserves enormous credit for helping to identify and root out media malfeasance.
President Trump and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr are addressing the longstanding issue of media bias by enforcing the legal obligations of broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC, which use public airwaves rent-free. These networks must meet a “public interest test” to serve all Americans, not just select political groups. Recent actions, including Trump’s lawsuits against CBS and ABC for deceptive editing and defamation, highlight a commitment to rooting out bias.
Legacy media are undoubtedly biased and purpose-driven. Take ABC’s David Muir, who was still allowed to host a presidential debate after MRC research found his nightly newscast had <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2024/09/09/100-abc-debate-moderator-david-muir-hosts-most-pro-harris-left-wing">100% positive coverage of Kamala Harris</a> and <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2025/04/28/tv-news-assaults-2nd-trump-admin-92-negative-coverage">92% negative coverage of Donald Trump</a>. From routine <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/bill-dagostino/2025/09/02/why-cant-cbs-stop-deceptively-editing-interviews-politicians">deceptive</a> editing in their interviews with Trump – and his cabinet officials – to initially refusing to mention the brutal Charlotte stabbing, only to eventually <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2025/09/08/nbc-trumpwashes-their-coverage-brutal-charlotte-stabbing">report</a> the tragedy through the lens of it being right-wing hysteria and fuel for Trump’s tough-on-crime approach. The media have earned the colossal decline of their collective reputation.
The public is now keenly aware of the media’s deficiencies, with <a href="https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/657239/five-key-insights-americans-views-news-media.aspx">69% </a>of people saying they have very little to no trust in the media, the worst result for the media since Gallup started assessing public confidence in it.
Some would argue, and most conservatives would agree, that these broadcasters and their cable news counterparts have a right to anchor themselves in whatever political persuasion favors their interests, so long as they are honest with their audience. While it would, at best, lack journalistic integrity for a major cable network like MSNow (formerly MSNBC) or CNN to show blatant favoritism in how they interview a Supreme Court justice, it would still easily pass legal muster. However, when traditional network broadcasters like CBS engage in <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2025/09/07/tale-two-interviews-cbss-norah-odonnell-fawned-over-justice#">the same behavior</a>, it’s a completely different story.
That is because the airwaves used by ABC, CBS, and NBC are owned by the American public. It will surprise many to learn that these broadcasters use our airwaves rent-free. This might sound like a terrible deal for taxpayers, but that is why broadcasters are required to meet a “public interest test,” ensuring that the whole public is served. Not just Democrats. Not just liberals. Not just left-wing agitators.
Carr is taking action to hold broadcasters accountable to the law which requires them to act in the interest of all Americans. Perhaps ironically, by requiring broadcasters to serve a much larger audience, Carr is probably saving these networks from their plummeting ratings and their declining revenues. Moreover, by reducing other regulatory burdens placed on them by the Biden administration, like the onerous DEI and ESG requirements, Carr is helping their bottom lines in more ways than one.
It’s no secret that traditional <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-05-11/network-evening-newscasts-still-matter-but-face-stiff-winds-of-change#:~:text=View%20All-,The%20network%20evening%20news%20is%20in%20flux:%20Why%20an%20American,With%20David%20Muir%E2%80%9D%20on%20ABC.&amp;text=Network%20evening%20newscasts%20are%20down,younger%2C%20digital%2Dsavvy%20viewers.">broadcast media is</a> in financial trouble. Without question, this is due to the fact that their current business model focuses on the fastest shrinking segment of America: liberals.
That might or might not work for a niche channel, like MSNow, but it is a guaranteed losing proposition for broadcast news.
By getting these networks to live up to their legal obligations, President Trump and Chairman Carr are helping all Americans become better informed while simultaneously helping the networks increase their <a href="https://allaboutcookies.org/cord-cutters-streaming-survey#:~:text=Rising%20cable%20costs%20and%20the,to%20move%20away%20from%20cable." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sagging viewership and revenue.</a> 
Their recent actions represent the first serious attempt in modern history to restore lawfulness, fairness, and order to the political discourse in America’s media. It is something we need more of.
* * *
Dan Schneider is the Vice President of the Media Research Center.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

CNN headquarters building.

Left-Wing Media Bias Under Scrutiny Following Coverage Of Kirk Assassination

Federal Trade Commission

Legacy Media

Media Research Center

MSNBC

The assassination of conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk prompted at least one major network television host to do what they all should have been doing from the start: follow Kirk&#8217;s example and listen to the people with whom you disagree.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Just four days after Kirk&#8217;s murder — which took place while he was speaking at a Utah Valley University campus event in Orem, Utah — much of the conversation was about him and how everyone would move on in the wake of such a horrific act of political violence. And after four days of comments — on social media and on the air — that essentially blamed Kirk for supporting policies that facilitated his assassination, an unexpected and unlikely respite came from ABC News host Martha Raddatz.
After speaking with Governors Spencer Cox (R-UT) and Jared Polis (D-CO) about the shooting, Raddatz brought in a panel of three young conservatives who had been a part of Kirk&#8217;s campus organization, TPUSA.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Charlie Kirk was one of these towering figures of my youth.” <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a> sat down with a group of college students to discuss Kirk’s legacy, the shock of his assassination, and the future of conservative youth activism. <a href="https://t.co/2kfzutVElM">https://t.co/2kfzutVElM</a> <a href="https://t.co/fcwrk8W8wA">pic.twitter.com/fcwrk8W8wA</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1967252617328820390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Charlie Kirk&#8217;s influence with young conservatives was far-reaching, galvanizing supporters in person and online like few others,&#8221; Raddatz began. &#8220;But he had plenty of critics who viewed him as using hateful and inflammatory language. In the wake of Kirk&#8217;s death, I sat down with three politically active, conservative college students to understand more about Kirk&#8217;s impact and his complicated legacy.&#8221;
Philip Vayntrub, a student at the College of William &amp; Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, recounted the moment he saw the horrific video of Kirk being shot, calling it absolutely &#8220;sickening.&#8221;
&#8220;Just to hear that something terrible had happened to him was just like, honestly, tragic,&#8221; added Katie Caldwell, a student at James Madison University in Virginia.
Kieran Laffey, a George Washington University student, said that he&#8217;d first learned of Kirk&#8217;s assassination while he was in a history class — and that for the first time in his college career, he&#8217;d had to step out of the classroom to process what he&#8217;d just learned.
&#8220;Charlie Kirk was one of these towering figures of my youth,&#8221; Vayntrub said, recalling videos of Kirk that he&#8217;d watched long before he ever went to college. &#8220;I&#8217;d watch these videos as a kid of him standing up, and being so articulate, but him being also so kind to everyone around him and I said I wanted to emulate that.&#8221;
Caldwell said that she&#8217;d grown up in a conservative home, and saw in Kirk a representation of the family ideals she&#8217;d known as a child. &#8220;I think that&#8217;s kind of why it hurt more,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;As a conservative on campus who&#8217;s outspoken, who like Charlie Kirk likes to speak his mind and stand up for what I think is right, I have to tell you, Martha, I&#8217;m frightened,&#8221; Laffey added, his voice breaking a bit as he added, &#8220;Because people think he deserved to die because he just voiced his opinion.&#8221;
Raddatz referenced remarks from Governor Cox, who said that the younger generation had an &#8220;opportunity&#8221; to come together instead of driving each other further apart, and asked the students to weigh in on that.
Laffey voiced concern, given the current climate: &#8220;I think unity is very imperative, and, look, I want to see people come together. I want to see the First Amendment thrive. I want to see conversations, I think most Americans do. And look, the reality is, I think it&#8217;s going to be hard to come together. Martha, I just don&#8217;t understand how a large population in this country could celebrate something like this.&#8221;
Vayntrub noted the corrosive nature of political violence, declaring, &#8220;The reason I&#8217;m here today is to reject that.&#8221;
He noted that there had been students on his campus cheering and celebrating, and vowed to take a different approach. &#8220;That should be totally condemned. But if we become as bad as them, if we act with just as much hate, then Charlie Kirk died for nothing,&#8221; he said.
When asked who might pick up the mantle and carry on Kirk&#8217;s mission, Laffey said it was incumbent on everyone to &#8220;continue the conversation and stand up for what&#8217;s right.&#8221;
&#8220;What&#8217;s &#8216;right&#8217;?&#8221; Raddatz asked, and Laffey said that continuing to champion free speech — and encourage honest and rational debate &#8220;without violence, without being shut down, without being censored&#8221; — was of the utmost importance.
&#8220;If we as Americans can&#8217;t come together and assemble and have debates on what we believe is right or wrong, we&#8217;re never going to get anywhere, we&#8217;re never going to be able to see the other side, and we&#8217;re going to live in this polarized country and that needs to stop,&#8221; Caldwell said.
Those on the political left routinely call for Americans to have a &#8220;national conversation&#8221; about some topic or another, whether it be gun violence or education reform, and what&#8217;s abundantly clear is that Charlie Kirk was having that conversation – and doing it to great effect. What Raddatz&#8217;s guests made equally clear is that they intend to keep having that conversation.

PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images

Spin Cycle: Charlie Kirk Breaks The Cycle

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) used the assassination of conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk as an opportunity to complain about &#8220;right-wing extremists&#8221; and blame them for political violence in the United States.
Moulton made an appearance on CNN to discuss Kirk&#8217;s assassination — which had occurred not even 24 hours earlier at a college campus event in Orem, Utah — and he immediately attempted to make the conversation about violence coming from the political Right.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Less than 24 hours after Charlie Kirk was gunned down, Dem Rep Seth Moulton attacks “right wing extremists” as the cause of the vast majority of political violence in the country.
&#8220;We need to be honest as a nation, about where this violence is coming from.&#8221;
He then adds… <a href="https://t.co/NoVisq6jxU">pic.twitter.com/NoVisq6jxU</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1966141353362076163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Moulton claimed that the bipartisan sentiment in Congress was an agreement that &#8220;we all need to turn down the rhetoric,&#8221; but then he pivoted. &#8220;But let&#8217;s be serious about where the violence is coming from. Of extremist violent attacks in America, extremist violent murders, 76% are from right-wing extremists, four percent are from left-wing extremists.&#8221;
&#8220;I condemn that four percent,&#8221; he assured host Kate Bolduan, adding, &#8220;But we also need to be honest about — as a nation — about where this violence is coming from.&#8221;
He concluded by once again attacking conservatives and claiming that they were responding to recent shootings by calling for more guns in the streets.
&#8220;And oh, by the way, it&#8217;s probably an appropriate time to talk about guns, too,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You hear a lot of conservatives saying, hey, the only thing we need to do here is get more guns on the street. That&#8217;s not going to solve this problem. That&#8217;s just going to make it worse.&#8221;
Moulton did not give any evidence that conservatives were actually calling for &#8220;more guns on the street,&#8221; nor did he offer even a hint at who might have said such a thing.

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