‘You have no idea the fire you have ignited’: Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika vows to continue his workSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailGet our free Inside Washington emailTyler Robinson, the suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is on “special watch” in the Utah County Jail, where he is being evaluated to determine if he is a risk to himself or others, according to CBS News.With his first court appearance set for Tuesday, his motive for the shooting is still unclear. A fierce debate over political violence sparked by the assassination has erupted, as false and misleading claims have proliferated online.Meanwhile, Erika Kirk has pledged to carry on her husband’s work through the right-wing movement he established, promising to make the conservative youth group Turning Point USA “the biggest thing this nation has ever seen.””I promise I will never let your legacy die,” Kirk said, addressing her husband.Elsewhere, President Donald Trump has lent his support to underfire FBI Director Kash Patel.Patel, a Trump loyalist with less experience than previous FBI directors, has faced criticism, including from the right, over his handling of the manhunt.He will soon answer questions in Congress about the investigation.Everything we know about stadium-sized memorial for Charlie KirkTurning Point USA, the organization founded by Charlie Kirk, will host a public memorial service on September 21 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, following the right-wing activist’s fatal shooting in Utah on Wednesday.“Join us in celebrating the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk, an American legend,” the organization said in statement.State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, will be available for the memorial as the team has an away game against the San Francisco 49ers that day.Erin Keller has the details.Rhian Lubin14 September 2025 07:30Trump says George Soros ‘should be in jail’ for supporting progressive causes: ‘He’s a bad guy’President Donald Trump said billionaire George Soros “should be in jail” as he continued to threaten the 95-year-old philanthropist and Democratic mega-donor.The president has baselessly accused the Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor and founder of the nonprofit Open Society Foundation of funding protesters and demonstrations against his administration.“We’re going to look into Soros, because I think it’s a RICO case against him and other people,” Trump said Friday on Fox & Friends as he referenced his demand that Soros be prosecuted for racketeering.He stood by his threats Saturday and unleashed on Soros again. It follows Trump’s Oval Office address this week after Charlie Kirk’s killing, where he pledged to target “each and every one of those who contributed this atrocity…including the organizations that fund and support it.”Rhian Lubin14 September 2025 06:30Kash Patel claims FBI ‘demanded’ suspect video be released ‘against all’ police objectionsFBI director Kash Patel has claimed the bureau “demanded” the video footage and enhanced stills of suspect Tyler Robinson be released to the public, “against all” police objections. Patel appeared to take credit for the move and the fact that it led to the suspect’s father recognizing his son in the images.“Against all law enforcement recommendations, we demanded the video footage and enhanced stills of the suspect be released to the public,” Patel said in a post on X Saturday. “Robinson’s father, who ultimately turned him in to authorities, told law enforcement that he recognized his son in that released video.”At a news conference Wednesday, Utah officials said images or video would not be released at that time. “Our stance was that it was a unified investigation and all decisions needed to be made in a unified manner and discussed to determine what was most beneficial to the investigation,” a Utah Department of Public Safety spokesperson responded in a statement Saturday, NBC News reports.Their strategy was to first use facial recognition technology to avoid implicating innocent people who may look similar to the suspect, the spokesperson said. “We did not recommend they not be released, however we first used technology to try to identify [the shooter],” said the spokesperson. “This was tried in an attempt to increase safety to officers that may be affecting an arrest with out notifying the subject and also done in an attempt to not have other innocent individuals that look similar subject to scrutiny by the public. When that was unsuccessful we were fully supportive and in agreement we should release the photos.”It comes amid scrutiny, including from the right, over the agency and Patel’s handling of the manhunt. Christopher Rufo, senior fellow at the conservative think tank the Manhattan Institute, suggested it was “time for Republicans to assess whether Kash Patel is the right man to run the FBI.”President Donald Trump defended Patel Saturday and said he had done “a great job.”Rhian Lubin14 September 2025 05:30Trump says Kash Patel ‘has done a great job’ amid criticism over shooting probe”I am very proud of the FBI,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “Kash—and everyone else—they have done a great job.”Patel, a Trump loyalist with less experience than previous FBI directors, has faced criticism, including from the right, over his handling of the manhunt that ultimately captured suspect Tyler Robinson.Oliver O’Connell14 September 2025 04:40Everything we know so far about alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler RobinsonThe 22-year-old man suspected of assassinating Charlie Kirk was turned in to authorities by his father, grew up in a quiet Utah suburb and was once a straight-A student, according to people who knew him.Now, as a nation reels from Wednesday’s violence on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, investigators are trying to piece together what allegedly drove Tyler Robinson to fatally shoot the prominent right-wing activist.Here’s everything we know:Oliver O’Connell14 September 2025 04:10Previous presidents projected calm after tragic events to ease the nation. Trump has taken a different approachPresident Donald Trump’s heated reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk has provided a stark contrast with the way his predecessors have tended to deal with moments of crisis through American history.But following the fatal shooting of Kirk, a 31-year-old Republican activist who was close with the president and his family, Trump used his social media to post a video blaming “the radical left” for the assassination and ”the media” for creating a tense political environment.Oliver O’Connell14 September 2025 03:40Republicans warn against mocking Kirk’s death, threatening dire consequencesOthers have faced torrents of online abuse or seen their offices flooded with calls demanding their firing, part of a surge in right-wing rage following the killing.Some Republicans want to go further and have proposed deporting Kirk’s critics from the United States, suing them into poverty, or banning them from social media for life.“Prepare to have your whole future professional aspirations ruined if you are sick enough to celebrate his death,” said conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump, and one of several far-right figures organizing digital campaigns on X, to identify and publicly shame Kirk’s critics.Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins posted on X that anyone who “ran their mouth with their smartass hatred celebrating the heinous murder of that beautiful young man” needed to be “banned from ALL PLATFORMS FOREVER.”Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on X that he was disgusted to “see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action.”Republicans’ anger at those disrespecting Kirk’s legacy contrasts with the mockery some of the same figures— including Kirk – directed at past victims of political violence.For example, when former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was attacked with a hammer by a conspiracy theorist during a break-in at their San Francisco home shortly before the 2022 midterm elections, Higgins posted a photo mocking the attack. He later deleted the post.Loomer falsely suggested that Paul Pelosi and his attacker were lovers, calling the brutal assault on the octogenarian a “booty call gone wrong.” Speaking to a television audience a few days after the attack, a grinning Kirk called for the intruder to be released from jail.“If some amazing patriot out there in San Francisco or the Bay Area wants to really be a midterm hero, someone should go and bail this guy out,” he said.Speaking on CBS Mornings on Saturday, Josh Stein, Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, observed: “You cannot cherry-pick which incidents of violence you’re going to condemn.. We have to condemn all political violence. Violence against one particular politician, no matter their party, makes us all less safe.”With reporting from ReutersOliver O’Connell14 September 2025 03:10Trump calls for ‘revenge at the voter box’President Donald Trump said Friday that in response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, he would like to see “revenge” manifested at the ballot box.The president went on the Fox & Friends morning show, where he broke the news that law enforcement officials had detained a person suspected of killing Kirk at a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in Orem.Eric Garcia reports on the president’s remarks.Oliver O’Connell14 September 2025 02:40Might Patel’s odd ‘Valhalla’ comment derail suspect’s prosecution?FBI Director Kash Patel’s bizarre parting words to the late Charlie Kirk after saying a suspect had been caught, 33 hours after his assassination, could threaten the prosecution of Kirk’s alleged killer, a former prosecutor said Saturday.Patel said he would see Kirk in the utopian realm from Norse mythology, likened to a heaven for warriors.“To my friend Charlie Kirk, rest now, brother, we have the watch, and I’ll see you in Valhalla,” the FBI director said.FBI Director Kash Patel pays tribute to Kirk: Charlie, I’ll see you in ValhallaPatel’s comments sparked widespread confusion and mockery online, largely due to the use of Norse mythology, given that Patel is Hindu and Kirk is an evangelical Christian.On the legal side, however, Patel’s comments could raise questions in court about whether the FBI’s investigation was compromised or at least affected by impartiality, Robert James, former district attorney for DeKalb County in Georgia, warned during an appearance on CNN Saturday.“You have to be careful when you’re running an investigation as a law enforcement officer,” he said.“Impartiality is very important when you’re looking at facts and determining who did what, what the motivation was, and that sort of thing. So you never want to put yourself in a position where lawyers get involved and then you open yourself up to cross-examination in a courtroom about your perception or perspective, and it happens in high-profile homicide cases all the time.”James further warned: “For instance, I’ve prosecuted cases where police officers were killed, and the same police department investigated those cases and it’s always a question when the officers are on the stand, whether or not their opinions are slanted or motivated by the grief or anger of what happened, and so it’s the same type of scenario here, so you have to be careful.”Oliver O’Connell14 September 2025 02:10ANALYSIS: Political violence expert reveals his biggest worry after Charlie Kirk’s assassinationAlfonso Serrano, a politics editor at The Conversation, spoke with University of Massachusetts Lowell scholar Arie Perliger after Kirk’s shooting. Perliger studies political violence and assassinations and spoke bluntly about political polarization in the United States.Oliver O’Connell14 September 2025 01:40
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Charlie Kirk murder suspect on ‘special watch’ in Utah jail as search for motive continues: Live updates
