Utah lawmakers will soon decide whether to keep laws in place protecting kids from transgender procedures. Their decision will be based in a large part on a report the Utah legislature commissioned — a report one watchdog says is &#8220;terribly flawed.&#8221;
Do No Harm on Tuesday released a memo highlighting the problems with a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/report-2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> commissioned by the Utah legislature on transgender procedures on kids. The <a href="https://donoharmmedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Debunking-Utah-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a>, first shared with The Daily Wire, says that the report significantly misrepresents the scientific record and glosses over the danger of transgender procedures.
&#8220;Its shortcomings include failure to adhere to the fundamental standards of a systematic review, prioritizing the quantity of evidence over its quality, uncritically relying on guidelines from purported experts, overlooking significant life-altering adverse effects, and consulting advisors, some of whom support &#8216;gender-affirming care&#8217; for minors,&#8221; Do No Harm medical director Kurt Miceli and gender ideology program director Michelle Havrilla write.
The May 2025 report, titled &#8220;Gender-Affirming Medical Treatments for Pediatric Patients with Gender Dysphoria,&#8221; was conducted by the Drug Regimen Review Center at the University of Utah and led by Dr. Joanne LaFleur. It was commissioned after Utah Republicans passed legislation in 2023 to shield kids from transgender procedures by putting a moratorium on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
The purpose of the report is to guide the Utah Department of Health&#8217;s recommendations to the legislature about whether to keep the ban on hormonal procedures in place. After an in-depth review of the 1,000-page report, Do No Harm said that the legislature should ignore the Utah report, and instead rely on a Department of Health and Human Services review that found putting kids on puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones damaged their development and comes with serious health risks.
&#8220;The Utah Report asserts that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones are safe and effective amid a sea of weak evidence, data extraction by a single reviewer rather than at least two, and conclusions based primarily on narrative summaries rather than quantitative synthesis – all despite reaching conflicting findings from well-established systematic reviews available prior to the Utah Report’s submission,&#8221; Do No Harm writes in its memo.
This portrayal comes from a reliance on anecdotal stories and studies, and not a systematic review of all relevant studies. Miceli told The Daily Wire that the Utah Report was &#8220;terribly flawed&#8221; and &#8220;anything but&#8221; a systematic review, and did not conduct a critical evaluation of the studies cited.
&#8220;Unlike true systematic reviews, it does not assess the reliability of studies and whether the research can provide guidance for weighing the risks and benefits of medical intervention for children with gender dysphoria,&#8221; the memo said.
Miceli and Havrilla write that the Utah report relied on observational studies as opposed to randomized control studies. The authors also pointed more to quantity over quality, they said.
At one point, the Utah authors wrote that “the amount of evidence available for treating pediatric [gender dysphoria] patients with [gender-affirming hormonal therapy] far exceeds the quantity that supported the use of [spinal muscular atrophy] gene therapy upon FDA approval.&#8221;
The gene therapy approval was based on objective testing, while the transgender studies were based on subjective methods, Do No Harm warned.
The Utah authors also accepted the guidance of radical groups like the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the Endocrine Society. Both these groups downplay the risks of transgender procedures on kids and endorse things like cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers.
Miceli said that the Utah report treats the WPATH guidelines &#8220;as gospel&#8221; and offers &#8220;no critical evaluation.&#8221;
The Utah report takes &#8220;these guidelines at face value purely because they come from &#8216;organizations that are widely regarded as authorities in their given specialty&#8217; and state &#8216;a risk-of-bias assessment was not conducted on guidelines as part of the current work because [the authors] restricted inclusion to recognized medical authorities who published evidence-based guidelines,'&#8221; the memo noted.
Both WPATH and the Endocrine Society make the dubious suggestion that it&#8217;s possible to reverse the effects of puberty blockers. This contradicts evidence that puberty blockers stunt bone development and have unknown neurological impacts.
Other well-documented problems with transgender procedures on kids are also downplayed, Do No Harm notes. For example, the risk of sexual dysfunction from cross-sex hormones is not mentioned, and potential dangers to infertility are not included as an outcome of focus.
&#8220;They conclude that gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is effective in improving mental health and psychosocial outcomes, whereas concerns related to bone health, cardiovascular risk, and cancer are &#8216;minimal and manageable.&#8217; The Utah Report neglects significant adverse effects that are associated with GAHT, including the life-altering effects of infertility/sterility and sexual dysfunction.&#8221;
While the <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/report-3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommendations</a> added to the report claim that no position is being taken on whether to continue the moratorium on trans procedures, Miceli told The Daily Wire that it is a contradictory claim. The recommendations are all contingent on the moratorium being lifted, Miceli said. These included things like setting up a board to oversee the moratorium, creating specific standards of care, and limiting those who prescribe transgender procedures to &#8220;demonstrated experts.&#8221;
Do No Harm also flagged multiple doctors recommended by the Utah report&#8217;s amendments as advisors to lawmakers for potential conflicts of interest. This included Nikki Mihalopoulos and Brooks Keeshin.
Mihalopoulos <a href="https://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/S1876-2859(20)30508-8/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authored</a> a 2021 article discussing how “pediatric health care providers can play a critical role in building solutions in policy and advocacy…to improve the health of transgender/gender diverse youth. Many government entities, especially at the state and local level, actively resist efforts promoting equal rights.”
Keeshin has <a href="https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(24)00521-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">written</a> a “Clinical Perspective” highlighting Utah’s “potential pathway forward” for “open access to [gender-affirming] care” for adolescents and said that the protections created a &#8220;significant challenge to adolescents who would benefit from gender-affirming care as well as their healthcare providers.&#8221;

A girl holds the Transgender Pride flag during the pride

Utah Lawmakers Are Getting ‘Terribly Flawed’ Information On Transgender Procedures, Watchdog Warns

medicine

Transgender

Utah

Utah is expected to get a Democrat-favored congressional district following a court ruling earlier this week on redistricting maps, adding yet another complicated layer to the nationwide gerrymandering battle.
Utah Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson ruled on Monday in favor of a map that went against the map proposed by Republicans in the legislature, who are expected to appeal the ruling, which sides with the plaintiffs, Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) and the League of Women Voters, <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/51403648/utah-judge-selects-new-congressional-map-tossing-map-drawn-by-lawmakers">KSL</a> reported.
“In the coming hours and days, there will be many who will try to frame this victory through the lens of partisanship. Some will co-opt this as a win for their party, and others will see this as a loss and use it as a rallying cry for theirs. Let us be clear about what this case has always been about for MWEG: MWEG stands firmly opposed to gerrymandering, no matter which party initiates or benefits from it,” the Mormon Women for Ethical Government said in a statement.
Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said that he would back a legal appeal to the judge’s decision.
“The Utah Constitution clearly states that it is the responsibility of the Legislature to divide the state into congressional districts,” the governor posted to X on Tuesday. “While I respect the Court’s role in our system, no judge, and certainly no advocacy group, can usurp that constitutional authority. For this reason, I fully support the Legislature appealing the Court’s decision.”
In the meantime, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said that the process is kicking off to make sure candidates can file to run for the congressional seat properly early next year at the state level.
“There will likely be an emergency appeal, but the process of finalizing new boundary details will take weeks of meticulous work on the part of state and county officials,” Henderson posted Tuesday. “Barring an appellate court ruling, we must begin without delay to ensure that everything is in place for candidate filing in January. The people of Utah deserve an orderly and fair election and we will do everything in our power to administer one.”
Democrats in Utah are already chomping at the bit for a chance at the seat, as the Beehive State currently has four Republican representatives in the House, and the map the judge ruled on encompasses the Salt Lake City area.
“I’ve done it before, to stand up against Trump when it was hard, not just when it was expected,” former Rep. Ben McAdams said in a campaign launch video Thursday morning. McAdams was elected to Congress in 2018 by defeating late Rep. Mia Love, and then lost to Rep. Burgess Owens in 2020 – both of which were competitive races prior to the redrawing after the 2020 census. McAdams previously served as mayor of Salt Lake County.
In addition, Utah Democratic Sen. Kathleen Riebe also launched her bid for a seat this week.
The ongoing legal battle in the state is only one element of how the 2026 congressional maps across the country could end up looking very different in the coming weeks. Other states have taken major steps toward voluntary mid-decade redistricting, including in Texas and California, especially with the passage of Proposition 50 in the Golden State.
Red states and blue states are reworking their maps, which some say could benefit Republicans, whereas others caution it could just end up making the numbers look similar to where they are now, despite a potential party flip in the chamber. Republicans hold a narrow 219-214 majority in the House.
“The whole thing might come out to be a wash anyway,” Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-redistricting-battle-keeps-getting-messier">The Daily Wire</a> earlier this month.
“I am continuing to advocate for my legislation to stop this whole redistricting domino effect. I think it’s a really bad thing for the country. I think it is degrading democracy in every state where it happens. I think gerrymandering is wrong, and we need to just put an end to this,” Kiley added, explaining his proposal to create a federal law against mid-decade redistricting, as it&#8217;s typically only done each decade with new census data.

US President Joe Biden hosts governors and their spouses in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington

Utah Might Get A Democrat In Congress After Controversial Court Ruling

Congress

Politics

Redistricting

Republicans

Spencer Cox

Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, will be able to wear civilian clothes to court, a judge ruled on Monday.
Robinson will be allowed to ditch his prison garb when he appears in court, but he will have to stay shackled. Utah Judge Tony Graf ruled that the 22-year-old accused assassin must remain in chains for the safety of others in the courtroom, according to the <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/10/27/charlie-kirk-killing-judge-says/">Salt Lake Tribune</a>.
The defendant’s attorneys had asked the judge’s permission for Robinson to wear civilian clothing and appear unshackled in court, arguing that appearing like a prisoner would bias a jury’s perception. The defense team made special mention of the amount of attention the case has received.
The judge appeared swayed by the defense team’s argument, though Graf’s sympathy was limited. The judge said that the request to appear in civilian clothes would cause only “minimal inconvenience” to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office when compared to Robinson’s interest in a fair trial.
“The case has attracted extraordinary public and media attention,” <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/27/us-news/alleged-charlie-kirk-assassin-tyler-robinson-makes-same-court-request-as-luigi-mangione/">said</a> Graf, according to the New York Post. “Images of Mr. Robinson in jail clothing are likely to circulate widely and influence prospective jurors. Given the scale of that publicity, the risk of prejudice is significant.”
“Mr. Robinson’s right to the presumption of innocence outweighs the minimal inconvenience of permitting civilian attire and Mr. Robinson shall be dressed as one who is presumed innocent,” the judge added.
During Monday’s hearing, Graf was also asked to consider banning cameras from the courtroom. The judge put off the issue, but added that if prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed, they could file a joint request later to have cameras banned.
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
Robinson is expected to appear in court again on January 16. His next court appearance had been scheduled for Thursday, but his legal team <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1982889447881421218">joined</a> prosecutors in requesting that the court date be “vacated.”
The request by Robinson’s attorneys over the presentation of their client echoes a request made by the attorneys of accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione. Over the summer, Mangione’s legal team asked the judge in his case to allow the suspect to appear in court without handcuffs or a bulletproof vest.
At his most recent court appearance, Mangione appeared in prison clothes and handcuffs, though he was not wearing a bulletproof vest, according to the Post.
Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a college event in Utah in September. The Turning Point USA founder was shot in the neck before being rushed to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on October 14, which would have been Kirk&#8217;s 32nd birthday.

Tyler Robinson

Charlie Kirk’s Suspected Assassin Scores Shocking Win In First Court Appearance

Charlie Kirk

Courts

Crime

U.S.

Anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ Rally Held In Cities Across US

‘No Kings’ Protest Turns Into A Rallying Cry For Political Violence

'No Kings' Protest Turns Into A Rallying Cry For Political Violence

Democrats

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Leftists

Liberals

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Protests

The same day that President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-honors-his-friend-charlie-kirk-with-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Donald+Trump+Honors+His+Friend+Charlie+Kirk+With+The+Presidential+Medal+Of+Freedom">honored</a> the late Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, hundreds of Utah college students gathered in Salt Lake City for a memorial honoring the Turning Point founder&#8217;s life. 
Students from chapters of Kirk’s Turning Point organization from nearby universities like Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, where Kirk was assassinated last month, gathered alongside Republican lawmakers at the Utah Capitol building on Tuesday to reflect on Kirk’s life. Rep. Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican, spoke at the event and urged young conservatives in attendance to carry on Kirk’s legacy. 
“One of the things that Charlie talked a lot about during his lifetime was the value of political debate,” Gill said.  “Whenever we win the debate we get to change policy. And whenever we change policy, we can start to take our country back. And we’ve seen that this year.” 
During his speech, Gill issued a warning about the rise of violence committed by the political Left. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s not just Charlie Kirk. Right now there’s an attorney general’s race in Virginia where the leading Democrat candidate just had some of his text messages released where he was saying he would celebrate the death of his political opponents, that he would celebrate the death of his opponents&#8217; young children,” he said, referring to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-jay-jones-text-scandal-may-blow-up-dem-chances-in-virginia">bombshell text messages</a> promoting violence from Democrat attorney general candidate Jay Jones. 
Gill told The Daily Wire that the students at the event were somber but “fired up.” 
“We heard from probably 20 or so student leaders from a few different campuses in the area,” he said. “And they were ready to take back our country. They saw what happened to Charlie. They remember the message that Charlie had been putting out there.”
Gill also praised the students in attendance for continuing Kirk’s legacy of engaging in civic debate. He said that respectful debate among two completely opposing ideologies would be one aspect of Kirk’s legacy that would live on. 
“The other thing that Charlie did was he was able to build a political movement and get young people involved in politics in a way you&#8217;ve never seen before,” he said. “ Charlie made it, and Turning Point has made it cool to be a conservative for a young person who&#8217;s in college.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
The Texas Republican also said that Kirk’s message of going to church, getting married, and having kids would continue to resonate with young Americans. 
Student leaders who spoke at the event called for young conservatives to carry on Kirk&#8217;s message. 
“Tonight we’re picking up the mic and carrying forward this message louder and bolder than ever before,” <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/president-trump-awards-charlie-kirk-221558652.html">said</a> Turning Point USA Provo chapter president Aubree Farmer. “We were born for such a time as this, and it’s time for people to start listening.”
Other speakers at the event <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/president-trump-awards-charlie-kirk-221558652.html">included</a> Utah Reps. Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy, Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, and multiple state lawmakers.

IMG_20251015_152544

‘Made It Cool To Be A Conservative’: Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Celebrated At Utah Capitol

Brandon Gill

Turning Point USA

Authorities issued an emergency evacuation order at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, on Tuesday after a &#8220;suspicious device&#8221; was found just hours before a Turning Point USA event was scheduled to take place on campus.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was supposed to speak at the event at Utah State before he was assassinated while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on September 10. The event is the first that Turning Point USA has hosted in the state since the assassination. Utah State University is around 120 miles north of Utah Valley University.
In a video posted on social media by local news outlet KSL TV, police are heard yelling &#8220;fire in the hole!&#8221; before a loud explosion is heard. The building that was evacuated was not where the Turning Point USA event was set to take place, KSL TV <a href="https://ksltv.com/local-news/building-on-utah-state-campus-evacuated-for-suspicious-package-ahead-of-tpusa-event/826344/">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Police just yelled “fire in the hole” three times before we all heard an explosion. <a href="https://twitter.com/KSL5TV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KSL5TV</a>
Courtesy Julie Carlton <a href="https://t.co/EzWhD4adzj">pic.twitter.com/EzWhD4adzj</a>
— Erin Cox (@erincoxnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/erincoxnews/status/1973135438073438541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Authorities gave the &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/erincoxnews/status/1973147126562783570">all clear</a>&#8221; around an hour after it was reported that a &#8220;suspicious device&#8221; was spotted.
Utah State provided an update that the device wasn&#8217;t an explosive, but was detonated out of an abundance of caution:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UTAH STATE: &#8220;A suspicious device was found near the exterior of Old Main. University and Local law enforcement were dispatched to the scene. A device was located and deemed to be a non-explosive device. Out of an abundance of caution, the bomb squad detonated the suspicious… <a href="https://t.co/XvesaB5aPA">https://t.co/XvesaB5aPA</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1973153323734933832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fox News reporter Matt Finn posted a screenshot of an alert sent out by Utah State that read, &#8220;An evacuation has been ordered for the Old Main building on Logan campus. Leave immediately using the nearest exit. Use stairs, not elevators. Take only essential items.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Developing: building evacuated at Utah State University ahead of the Turning Point event tonight. <a href="https://t.co/xsIzlbh06x">pic.twitter.com/xsIzlbh06x</a>
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattFinnFNC/status/1973138318503387589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Following Kirk&#8217;s assassination, Turning Point USA, led by Kirk&#8217;s widow, Erika, has remained committed to holding campus events despite the continued hatred spewed by some on the Left. Kirk&#8217;s college tour, which he kicked off at Utah Valley University, is now being picked up by some of his fellow conservatives. Tuesday&#8217;s event at Utah State is set to <a href="https://www.wyff4.com/article/turning-point-usa-utah-charlie-kirk-assassination/68129603">feature</a> podcast host Alex Clark, along with a panel that includes Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Andy Biggs, former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, and Gov. Spencer Cox.
Earlier on Tuesday, Utah State said it was taking multiple security precautions to ensure the safety of those attending the Turning Point USA event.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
“USU works diligently to protect the safety of our community and has a robust plan that is evaluated routinely,&#8221; <a href="https://www.abc4.com/news/charlie-kirk-shooting/usu-security-measures-turning-point/">said</a> Amanda DeRito, the Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications at the university. &#8220;Even during times without heightened safety concerns, Utah State’s Department of Public Safety collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure security measures at campus events are planned and staffed according to industry best practices, including a thorough comprehensive threat assessment, detailed security planning, deployment of a diverse array of security assets, effective crowd management, close protection for the speaker, clear communication and coordination, and readiness for crisis response.”

Utah State University Building Evacuated Due To ‘Suspicious Device’ Ahead Of TPUSA Event

General

Law Enforcement

MixCollage-17-Sep-2025-05-14-PM-2304

We Aren’t Getting The Full Story About Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

We Aren't Getting The Full Story About Charlie Kirk's Assassination

assassination

Furries

LGBTQ

Murder

Social Media

Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassination stands before a judge, President Donald Trump hit the New York Times with a hefty defamation suit, and he continues his big city crime crackdown in a new destination.
It’s Wednesday, September 17, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Kirk Investigation Expands &amp; Operation Viper Greenlit" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H9oow-_736U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kirk-investigation-expands-operation-viper-greenlit/id1576594336?i=1000727171096" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Prosecutors Seeking Death Penalty For Suspected Kirk killer</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973217 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Topline: 22-year-old Tyler Robinson appeared in a Utah court on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with seven counts, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.
Utah County District Attorney Jeff Gray determined that Robinson targeted conservative activist Charlie Kirk for his political beliefs and announced that he would seek the death penalty.
“I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/1968018720820981764">said</a> Gray.
The evidence: Prosecutors released chilling <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1968026479037747546">text messages </a>between Robinson and his trans-identifying boyfriend from the hours after the shooting. When asked why he shot Kirk, Robinson allegedly responded: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” 
Robinson also appears to have confessed to the crime on Discord, an online messaging platform. Robinson allegedly wrote two hours before he was taken into custody: “Hey gurobinys, I have bad news for you all&#8230;It was me at UVU yesterday. I&#8217;m sorry for all of this.”
Stolen villainy: 71-year-old George Zinn was taken away in handcuffs immediately after the shooting. Reports circulated that he was the one responsible for shooting Kirk, but police later clarified that he was not the shooter and was being held on obstruction of justice charges.
Zinn, a well-known left-wing activist in Utah, prompted his own arrest by claiming to an officer on scene: “I shot him, now shoot me.” Only after arriving at the police station did Zinn confess he was not the shooter and was only trying to “draw attention from the real shooter.”
FBI agents who interviewed Zinn also discovered child sex abuse material on his phone, so he is now facing four additional charges.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Sues The New York Times</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973219 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Topline: President Trump on Monday filed a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times. He has accused the newspaper of a years-long campaign to destroy his reputation and undermine his political success.
Trump filed the suit Monday in a U.S. District Court in Florida. The complaint targets four of the Times’ most prominent journalists — Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Michael Schmidt, and Peter Baker. It also names Penguin Random House, which published a book based on the Times’ reporting.
The evidence: An investigative series and book titled “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success,” alleges that Trump committed tax fraud in inheriting his father&#8217;s real estate empire and built his wealth on deceptive practices. That series was written by Craig and Buettner, and Penguin Random House released it just before the 2024 election.
The suit also targets an interview by Schmidt with retired Gen. John F. Kelly, Trump&#8217;s former chief of staff, who said that the president met the definition of a fascist and posed a dictatorial threat.
Trump’s view: The president calls these claims &#8220;repugnant distortions and fabrications.” He also says the Times&#8217; reporting deliberately minimized his contributions to the success of his television show, &#8220;The Apprentice,&#8221; and instead solely credited producer Mark Burnett.
Trump argues that all these examples meet the legal definition of defamation because the paper&#8217;s coverage was engineered to inflict “enormous economic losses” on his businesses and personal brand.
The Gray Lady fights back: A spokesman for The New York Times said the lawsuit “lacks any legitimate legal claims and is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting.” Penguin-Random House similarly called it meritless, arguing that the lawsuit is part of a broader effort to intimidate media organizations criticizing Trump.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump’s Crime Crackdown Moves South</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973221" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump has officially directed a crackdown on crime in Memphis, Tennessee, using a strategy similar to the one deployed in Washington, D.C.
Trump signed a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restoring-law-and-order-in-memphis/">memo</a> Monday that establishes the Memphis Safe Task Force, whose objective is to “end street and violent crime in Memphis to the greatest possible extent” through hypervigilant policing, aggressive prosecution, and other efforts. Federal agencies such as the ATF, DOJ, HHS, HUD, and the Department of War will be involved and coordinate with local and state law enforcement. This will supplement “Operation Viper,” an FBI-led mission already working in Memphis to target violent offenders.
According to Trump, the situation in Memphis is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDIptQsoA48">dire</a>: “In 2024, Memphis had the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/12/trump-deploy-national-guard-memphis-crime-rate?utm_source=chatgpt.com">highest crime rate</a>, the highest property crime rate, and the third-highest murder rate of any city in the nation – other than that, they are doing quite well, thank you. A person is 4 times more likely to be murdered in Memphis, Tennessee, today than in Mexico City. There were 249 murders, 429 rapes, 5,616 burglaries, and 12,522 violent assaults in just the last little while in 2024 and pieces of 2025.”
Room for negotiation: Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, said he doesn&#8217;t want the National Guard in his city, but understands that it’s not his call and will be working with authorities on this matter.
Other local Democrats have also expressed opposition to this intervention. That said, there appears to be considerable support as well. CBS spoke to some business owners in the area and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p22syVrpYOw">reported</a> that they welcome the National Guard and are excited to see some changes.
What’s next: Trump said on Tuesday that Chicago is “probably next” to get the D.C. treatment. He said it’s a “great city” and will be “great again.&#8221; He made these comments despite opposition from both Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Morning Brief: Death Penalty In Kirk Killing, Trump Sues NYT & Memphis Gets The Trump Treatment

Media

Memphis

Morning Wire

Tennessee

The New York Times

Utah County prosecutors on Tuesday released text messages that were sent between suspected assassin Tyler Robinson and his trans-identifying roommate after influential conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was gunned down in Orem, Utah.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray revealed more information on Robinson&#8217;s recent shift toward leftist politics while announcing that the suspected assassin is facing seven <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prosecutors-reveal-charges-against-suspected-charlie-kirk-assassin-will-seek-death-penalty">charges</a>, including aggravated murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty.
Robinson’s mother told investigators that her son became more political and Left-leaning over the past year, adopting pro-gay and pro-transgender views, according to Gray. Robinson was also dating his roommate, a man who identified as a woman and is in the process of “transitioning,” the attorney added, citing comments Robinson’s mother made to authorities.
Last Wednesday, Robinson texted his roommate, “drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard,&#8221; according to the charging documents. Prosecutors said that when the roommate looked under the keyboard, he found a note stating, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” After reading the note, the roommate replied via text, &#8220;What?????????????? You’re joking, right????&#8221; the charging documents stated.
According to the charging documents, Robinson and his roommate then went back and forth in multiple text messages, where the suspected killer revealed information about his desire to assassinate Kirk and his plan to retrieve the rifle used in the shooting after leaving it at a drop point.
Read the full text exchange that was published in the charging documents below (Warning: some profanity):
<blockquote>Robinson: I am still ok my love, but am stuck in orem for a little while longer yet. Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.
Roommate: you weren’t the one who did it right????
Robinson: I am, I’m sorry
Roommate: I thought they caught the person?
Robinson: no, they grabbed some crazy old dude, then interrogated someone in similar clothing. I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.
Roommate: Why?
Robinson: Why did I do it?
Roommate: Yeah
Robinson: I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.…
Roommate: How long have you been planning this?
Robinson: a bit over a week I believe. I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it…
Robinson: I’m wishing I had circled back and grabbed it as soon as I got to my vehicle. … I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpas rifle … idek if it had a serial number, but it wouldn’t trace to me. I worry about prints I had to leave it in a bush where I changed outfits.didn’t have the ability or time to bring it with. … I might have to abandon it and hope they don’t find prints. how the fuck will I explain losing it to my old man. …only thing I left was the rifle wrapped in a towel. …remember how I was engraving bullets? The fuckin messages are mostly a big meme, if I see “notices bulge uwu” on fox new I might have a stroke alright im gonna have to leave it, that really fucking sucks. … judging from today I’d say grandpas gun does just fine idk. I think that was a $2k scope ;-;…
Robinson: delete this exchange
Robinson: my dad wants photos of the rifle … he says grandpa wants to knowwho has what, the feds released a photo of the rifle, and it is very unique. Hes calling me rn, not answering.…
Robinson: since trump got into office [my dad] has been pretty diehard maga.…
Robinson: Im gonna turn myself in willingly, one of my neighbors here is a deputy for the sheriff.
Robinson: you are all I worry about love
Roommate: I’m much more worried about you
Robinson: don’t talk to the media please. don’t take any interviews or make any comments. … if any police ask you questions ask for a lawyer and stay silent</blockquote>

Political Activist Charlie Kirk Shot Dead At Utah Valley University

Read The Disturbing Texts Between Tyler Robinson And His Trans ‘Love’ After Charlie Kirk Assassination

Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray revealed on Tuesday that suspected Charlie Kirk assassin, Tyler Robinson, faces seven charges, including a count of aggravated murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty.
At a press conference announcing the charges, Gray added that he would file a notice of intent to seek the death penalty, saying that the decision is based &#8220;on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime.&#8221; The attorney said that the suspected assassin leaned more into leftist politics in the past year and targeted Kirk over his political expression.
Robinson is charged with one count of aggravated murder &#8220;for intentionally or knowingly causing the death of Charlie Kirk under circumstances that created a great risk of death to others.&#8221; The second count is felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury.
&#8220;The state is further alleging aggravating factors on counts one and two because the defendant is believed to have targeted Charlie Kirk based on Charlie Kirk&#8217;s political expression and did so knowing that children were present and would witness the homicide,&#8221; Gray said.
Count three is obstruction of justice &#8220;for moving and concealing the rifle used in the shooting.&#8221; Count four is another obstruction of justice charge &#8220;for disposing the clothing he wore during the shooting.&#8221; Counts five and six are witness tampering &#8220;for directing his roommate to delete his incriminating texts&#8221; and &#8220;for directing his roommate to stay silent if police questioned him.&#8221; The final count is commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child &#8220;for committing homicide knowing that children were present and may have seen or heard the murder and did so based on Charlie Kirk&#8217;s political expression.&#8221;
Robinson&#8217;s mother told investigators that her son became more political and Left-leaning over the past year, adopting pro-gay and pro-transgender views, according to Gray. Robinson was also dating his roommate, a man who identified as a woman and is in the process of &#8220;transitioning,&#8221; the attorney added, citing comments Robinson&#8217;s mother made to authorities.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨BREAKING: Utah County Attorney DESTROYS the narrative that Charlie Kirk&#8217;s suspected assassin held right-wing political views:
&#8220;Robinson&#8217;s mother explained that over the last year or so, Robinson had become more political, and started to lean more to the Left, becoming more… <a href="https://t.co/T5OnFcQk1a">pic.twitter.com/T5OnFcQk1a</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1968030776211206494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gray said that Robinson&#8217;s political shift to the Left and his decision to date his trans-identifying roommate led to multiple conversations with his father &#8220;who had very different political views.&#8221;
Robinson allegedly texted his roommate after the assassination and told him look under a keyboard. The roommate found a note under the keyboard, which stated, &#8220;I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I&#8217;m going to take it,&#8221; according to Gray. The attorney added that text messages sent between Robinson and his roommate revealed that Robinson stated that he targeted Kirk because he &#8220;had enough&#8221; of Kirk&#8217;s &#8220;hatred,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Some hatred can&#8217;t be negotiated out.&#8221; In another text message, Robinson allegedly said that he had been planning the assassination for a week.
Robinson asked his roommate to avoid speaking to the media or police, and urged him to &#8220;ask for a lawyer and stay silent,&#8221; Gray said.

Jeff Gray / Tyler Robinson Mugshot

Prosecutors Reveal Charges Against Suspected Charlie Kirk Assassin, Will Seek Death Penalty

Death Penalty

The 22-year-old man suspected of assassinating conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was placed on &#8220;special watch&#8221; in a separate housing unit as he awaits his first court appearance on Tuesday.
Authorities placed Tyler Robinson under the special watch status to &#8220;keep a close eye on him&#8221; as they evaluate his mental health, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/charlie-kirk-suspect-special-watch-motive/">reported</a>. Robinson is scheduled to make his first court appearance at 3:00 p.m. MT and is expected to face an aggravated murder charge, which would make him eligible for the death penalty under Utah law if he is convicted.
The Utah County Attorney&#8217;s Office <a href="https://atty.utahcounty.gov/cms/uploads/2025_09_13_Press_Release_Robinson_Arrest_and_Potential_Charges_f526b4de85.pdf">said</a> last week that formal charges will be filed on Tuesday before Robinson&#8217;s arraignment, with a press conference scheduled for noon MT &#8220;to explain those charges and the next steps in this case.&#8221; Robinson is also expected to be charged with obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury.
The assassin fired a single bullet that struck Kirk in the neck while he was speaking at Utah Valley University last Wednesday. The shot was fired from the roof of a building on campus that was adjacent to a courtyard where the Kirk event was being held, according to authorities. Videos showed a figure moving along the roof before and after Kirk was shot, and the individual was also seen on video jumping off the roof before escaping the campus.
During their investigation, authorities discovered a bolt-action rifle with a scope wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus. FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday that DNA analyzed from the towel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-links-suspects-dna-to-kirk-assassination-weapon">matched</a> the DNA of Robinson. Patel also said that the DNA found on a screwdriver on the roof also matched Robinson&#8217;s DNA.
Robinson was arrested on Thursday night, about 33 hours after the assassination. The suspect&#8217;s father reportedly told Robinson to turn himself in, but then contacted the family&#8217;s youth minister, who is also a U.S. Marshal, when Robinson said he was going to kill himself. The youth minister reportedly contacted the FBI.
State and federal authorities are still working to determine a motive behind the assassination. Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox and President Donald Trump have pointed to radical leftism as a potential factor in the killing of Kirk, an influential conservative.
“It’s very clear to us and to the investigators that this was a person who was deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology,” Cox said over the weekend.
In comments to reporters on Monday, Trump discussed the federal government looking into a potential role that leftist groups played in the assassination, saying that the Left has &#8220;a lot of problems.&#8221; Trump added that it appears Robinson was &#8220;radicalized&#8221; online.
&#8220;Something happened to him over a fairly short period of time. It looks like he was radicalized over the internet and was radicalized on the Left,&#8221; Trump said.
Robinson, who lived with a trans-identifying roommate, discussed his dislike of Kirk with a family member at a dinner before the assassination and mentioned that Kirk would be coming to Utah Valley University, according to authorities. Officials added that Robinson had become more political in recent years.
In an online messaging account tied to the suspect, Robinson appeared to have confessed to assassinating Kirk, The Washington Post reported on Monday. Just hours before Robinson was arrested, the account linked to him posted on the online messaging platform, Discord, “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this.&#8221;
The message was sent to a small group of his friends, according to a person in the group chat who shared an image of the message with the Post. Discord reportedly sent a copy of the message to law enforcement.

Mugshot: Tyler Robinson

Suspected Charlie Kirk Assassin To Make First Court Appearance, Placed On ‘Special Watch’

Court

Police said the 71-year-old man initially detained after Charlie Kirk’s assassination admitted he falsely claimed responsibility in an effort to draw attention away from the real shooter.
Right after Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University, George Zinn told police he was the gunman and demanded they shoot him, according to court documents. Investigators later determined that Zinn did not shoot Kirk, but charged him with second-degree obstruction of justice. 
In an affidavit filed on Monday, a police officer said that Zinn approached police and yelled, &#8220;I shot him, now shoot me,” after the Kirk shooting, <a href="https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/man-claimed-to-have-shot-charlie-kirk-to-allow-gunman-to-escape-police-said?fbclid=IwY2xjawM1jW1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFhUzh0bjFiQ0ZSeFhqVDJGAR6fmazZSQxGlcChErALhawuPRdSbEUy1lsp3GHJz0C8X-gjFteZMkitB89WRw_aem_cksKQCEcALvMFWNjmuP2Rg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox 13 Salt Lake City. &#8220;I then started to escort George to a patrol car that was at the back of the venue. He continued to state that he shot the individual and to just shoot him,&#8221; a police officer <a href="https://kfoxtv.com/news/nation-world/man-accused-of-claiming-he-shot-charlie-kirk-to-give-real-suspect-chance-to-escape">said</a>.
Zinn later admitted he made the false confession “to draw attention from the real shooter” and said he “wanted to be a martyr for the person who was shot,” according to the affidavit.
Once at the police station, Zinn said that he wanted a lawyer, and the police told him that they did not believe that he shot Kirk, KUTV reported. 
&#8220;At that point he advised I am already going to be in trouble for saying I shot him. Even if I did not,&#8221; the officer wrote. &#8220;I did not ask him any more questions at that point.&#8221;
Zinn was also charged with sexual exploitation of a minor. Law enforcement said that he admitted &#8220;that he uses his phone to view and abuse Child Sex Abuse Material and there may be some images on his phone.&#8221;
After being booked at the police station, Zinn was hospitalized for an undisclosed medical issue. 
Zinn is known in the Salt Lake City area for disrupting political events and has a criminal history dating back to the 1980s, The Salt Lake Tribune <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/09/10/george-zinn-what-we-know-about-man/">reported</a>. In 2013, Zinn was charged with threatening to place bombs at the finish line of the Salt Lake City marathon. Zinn agreed to a plea deal in that case and was sentenced to probation. However, after he failed to meet the conditions, he was ordered to spend a year in jail, with credit for time served, according to the Tribune. Zinn was arrested again in 2019 after a protest in downtown Salt Lake City turned violent.
The man whom police believe actually shot Kirk is 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and is set to make his first court appearance on Tuesday.

Man Lied About Shooting Charlie Kirk To ‘Draw Attention’ From Real Assassin: Police

Salt Lake City

Menu