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  • Death penalty on the table as Utah prepares charges in Charlie Kirk assassination

    Death penalty on the table as Utah prepares charges in Charlie Kirk assassination

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    PROVO, Utah – The Utah County Attorney’s Office told Fox News they are “optimistic” that charges will be filed on Tuesday against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah native who was arrested last week for the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. 

    Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray is planning a noon MDT press conference on Tuesday at the Utah County Health & Justice Building in Provo, Utah – about a 15-minute drive from Utah Valley University’s campus, where Kirk was killed less than one week ago. 

    The press conference is scheduled as prosecutors approach the three-business-day deadline to issue formal charging documents against Robinson, who was arrested on Friday at his home in Washington, Utah, following a 33-hour manhunt after Kirk was killed Wednesday.

    Mugshot of Tyler Robinson split with a photo of the exterior of Utah County Security Center

    Mugshot of Tyler Robinson split with a photo of the exterior of Utah County Security Center. (Utah Governor’s Office; AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

    If the attorney’s office meets the noon deadline, charges will be announced at the press conference and then Robinson will make his first court appearance at 3 p.m. MDT virtually from the Utah County Jail in Spanish Fork, Utah, where Robinson is being held under “special watch,” according to authorities. 

    UTAH PROSECUTORS PREPARE POTENTIAL DEATH PENALTY CASE AGAINST CHARLIE KIRK SUSPECT TYLER JAMES ROBINSON

    If there is a delay announcing Robinson’s formal charges, the announcement would slide to Friday as the attorney’s office can extend the deadline up to three business days. 

    American flag at Utah Valley University

    An American flag now rests where conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, as the campus begins to reopen.  (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

    DEATH PENALTY LOOMS FOR CHARLIE KIRK’S ACCUSED KILLER, BUT LEGAL BAR IS HIGH AS TRUMP, COX MOUNT PRESSURE

    The remote hearing will be livestreamed. The likely brief hearing is intended to inform Robinson of the charges against him and provide him with an attorney if he has not already retained one, Gray shared in a statement to Fox News. 

    Robinson “was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail early Friday morning on suspicion of committing three crimes related to the murder” of Kirk, Gray said. Those crimes include aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and a felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury. 

    Gray has indicated Robinson’s formal charges will likely be consistent with his preliminary charges. Robinson is being held without bail.

    Utah Valley University memorial for Charlie Kirk

    Flowers and tributes to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk have filled Utah Valley University’s campus in the wake of his assassination on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.  (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

    “Under Utah law, aggravated murder carries a penalty of either death, life in prison without the possibility of parole, or twenty-five years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Obstruction of justice carries a penalty of one to fifteen years in prison. Felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury carries a penalty of five years to life in prison,” the attorney’s office shared in a statement. 

    If the Utah County Attorney’s office meets the Tuesday deadline, charges will be listed on the “Criminal Information” document, which will trigger the formal start of the criminal case against Robinson. 

    A possible delay would indicate his office requires additional time to prepare the charges, according to Gray. 

    A large memorial at Utah Valley University

    A memorial honoring conservative influencer Charlie Kirk has steadily grown outside Utah Valley University’s campus in the wake of his assassination on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.  (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

    “Our ability to file charges depends on how quickly we can gather and carefully review mountains of evidence. We will be thorough and deliberate at every stage of this case,” he said. 

    “My office’s mission is to protect our community by vigorously investigating and prosecuting crime, compassionately assisting crime victims, and seeking justice for all. We will spare no effort to achieve those ends in this, and every case,” Gray added. 

    Attorney General Derek Brown told Fox News Digital on Friday that Robinson could face a combination of state and federal charges. 

    President Donald Trump and Gov. Spencer Cox, R-Utah, have both called for the death penalty against Robinson, which is a possibility under Utah state law

    Utah Valley University memorial

    Many locals and students returning to campus on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, stopped by a memorial at Utah Valley University to pay their respects to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated less than a week ago.  (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

    The media frenzy had mostly dissipated on Utah Valley University’s campus on the evening of Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, as students and locals returned to campus to pay their respects to Kirk. 

    As campus reopened for UVU students seeking mental health resources and employees returning to work, memorials filled the grass outside campus.

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    Inside the UVU courtyard, an American flag now hangs where Kirk stood before his assassination less than a week ago. More tributes, including flowers, American flags and messages to Kirk have been placed inside the courtyard.

    Fox News’ Melissa Chrise contributed to this report. 

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  • TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk killed amid campus attack pattern

    TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk killed amid campus attack pattern

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    Attacks on conservative activists on college campuses have made waves for years, and are resurfacing following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on Wednesday at Utah Valley University.

    On Feb. 21, 2019, at the University of California, Berkeley, an individual tabling for TPUSA to recruit students for a new chapter was punched, resulting in a black eye, Business Insider reported.

    “Yesterday, UCPD sent out a notice and request for information related to a reprehensible incident that occurred on Sproul Plaza earlier this week. According to the police, an unknown, unidentified assailant attacked a Berkeley student engaged in political advocacy,” the university said in a statement at the time.

    ANTI-TRUMP VOICES PRAISE CHARLIE KIRK’S LEGACY AFTER ASSASSINATION, SAY HE WAS DOING POLITICS ‘THE RIGHT WAY’

    Charlie Kirk speaking at church

    Turning Point executive director Charlie Kirk speaks on stage ahead of a conversation during Turning Point Action’s Chase the Vote campaign event at Generation Church in Mesa, Arizona, on Sept. 4, 2024.  (REBECCA NOBLE/AFP via Getty Images)

    The University of Texas at Dallas TPUSA’s chapter president, Paige Neumann, was assaulted while tabling at the school. 

    On video, the individual can be seen striking Neumann with a metal bike lock.

    “The attacker (pictured below) struck Paige in the head with a metal bike lock, hitting her with enough force to shatter her phone. Grace’s phone was also destroyed,” TPUSA posted at the time.

    VIDEO SHOWS MOMENTS BEFORE ASSASSINATION OF TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER CHARLIE KIRK

    Protesters holding anti-ICE signs

    Protesters hold a, “No ICE on campus!” sign outside Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit.  (Fox News Digital)

    In April, left-wing protesters caused chaos at a TPUSA “Prove Me Wrong” event with Brandon Tatum at University of California, Davis, in which protesters assaulted staff and tore apart equipment, Kirk wrote at the time.

    “While our people were under attack, police stood aside and did nothing,” he stated. “Our team is understandably shaken up, but they assure me they will not back down.”

    The university said the event was ultimately able to go on despite the havoc created.

    CHARLIE KIRK PAINTED AS ‘CONTROVERSIAL,’ ‘PROVOCATIVE’ IN MEDIA’S ASSASSINATION COVERAGE

    FBI searching for evidence in connection to the murder of Charlie Kirk.

    Investigators search a taped-off area in Orem, Utah, Thursday, September 11, 2025. The search is believed to be related to the hunt for evidence in the assassination of Charlie Kirk yesterday during a rally at UVU. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

    “The UC Davis Police Department took one report of an assault,” the university said in a statement. “No one requested medical aid. The event with the guest speaker took place on schedule and was completed without further incident. The university protected the free speech rights of the campus community throughout the event.”

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    Kirk’s assassination sent off shock waves in the political world, as there is currently a manhunt underway for the suspect who shot him in the neck. 

    Vigils were held around the country on Wednesday night, as President Donald Trump plans to award Kirk a posthumous Medal of Freedom. He leaves behind his wife, Erika Kirk, and two young children. A large celebration of life service is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which the president is planning to attend.

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  • Georgia Supreme Court upholds Fani Willis disqualification from Trump Georgia election case

    Georgia Supreme Court upholds Fani Willis disqualification from Trump Georgia election case

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    Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been permanently sidelined from prosecuting President Donald Trump’s election interference case in Georgia after she lost an appeal at the state’s highest court. 

    The Georgia Court of Appeals in December ruled that Willis and her office could not continue to prosecute the case, citing an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

    Willis appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court in January, but on Tuesday the high court declined in a 4-3 decision to take up the case. One judge didn’t participate and another was disqualified.

    Fulton County DA Fani Willis

    District Attorney Fani Willis has been permanently sidelined from prosecuting President Donald Trump’s election interference case in Georgia after she lost an appeal at the state’s highest court. Willis pictured at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 1, 2024. (Alex Slitz/AP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    MAURENE COMEY SUES DOJ FOR ‘UNLAWFUL’ FIRING, DEMANDS REINSTATEMENT

    Steve Sadow, Trump’s attorney in the Georgia case, welcomed the decision. 

    “Willis’ misconduct during the investigation and prosecution of President Trump was egregious and she deserved nothing less than disqualification,” Sadow said in a statement. “This proper decision should bring an end to the wrongful political, lawfare persecutions of the president.”

    Jeff Clarke, a former Justice Department official who is one of 19 defendants indicted under the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, said the case now moves to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, which will choose a replacement.

    “Praise the Lord for progress in this case. It never should have been brought in the first place,” he said.

    Willis said she disagreed with the decision but would make the case file and evidence available to the Prosecuting Attorneys Council for use in the litigation.

    “While I disagree with the decision of the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court’s divided decision not to review it, I respect the legal process and the courts,” Willis said, per Fox Atlanta

    Donald Trump

    President Donald Trump’s booking photo, provided by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, after he surrendered to authorities in Georgia on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

    VANCE, BONDI, PATEL TO HUDDLE AT VP RESIDENCE FOR MEETING AMID EPSTEIN FALLOUT

    The council’s executive director, Pete Skandalakis, said Tuesday he will begin searching for a new prosecutor to replace Willis but didn’t know how long that might take. He said once a new prosecutor is appointed it will be “up to him or her what to do with the case.”

    That person could continue on the track Willis had taken, pursue only some charges, or dismiss the case altogether. Finding a prosecutor willing to handle it could be difficult, given its complexity and the resources required.

    Even if a new prosecutor tries to follow Willis’ path, it seems unlikely Trump could be prosecuted now that he is the sitting president. But 14 other defendants still face charges.

    Willis’ indictment accused Trump of pressuring officials to overturn the 2020 vote in Georgia, organizing “fake electors” and harassing election workers.

    A Fulton County grand jury indicted Trump and 18 others in August 2023, and Trump surrendered at the Fulton County Jail on Aug. 24. That’s when the now-famous mugshot was taken — the first ever for a U.S. president.

    Prosecutor Nathan Wade

    Adam Ney, assistant district attorney, left, and prosecutor Nathan Wade at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 20, 2023. (Getty)

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    During the Georgia case, it came to light that Willis was in a romantic relationship with Wade, the special prosecutor she had hired to help lead the case.

    The pair eventually acknowledged the relationship but argued it had no impact on the prosecution. Wade later resigned, but the controversy persisted and the Court of Appeals ruled Willis and her entire office had to be disqualified due to the appearance of impropriety.

    Ashleigh Merchant, who exposed Willis’ romantic relationship with Wade as defense attorney for Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, said: “We hope this will finally close this chapter.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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  • Florida councilman who mocked Kirk assassination as ‘sacrifice’ to gun ‘Lords’ faces resignation demands

    Florida councilman who mocked Kirk assassination as ‘sacrifice’ to gun ‘Lords’ faces resignation demands

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    A Florida village councilman is under pressure to resign from his post after mocking Charlie Kirk‘s shocking assassination as a “fitting sacrifice” to firearm “Lords,” but has so far rebuffed stepping down. 

    “Charlie Kirk is a fitting sacrifice to our Lords Smith & Wesson. Hallowed be their names,” Palmetto Bay, Florida, councilman Steve Cody wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post after Kirk’s Wednesday assassination, CBS Miami reported.  

    The post set off an onslaught of condemnation on social media, including users remarking on Facebook and X that Cody was a “shameful man” and a “disgrace,” while others demanded he be fired. 

    “If this Facebook post is legitimate, Steve Cody should resign from his position as Palmetto Bay Council member immediately,” Republican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier posted to X Thursday. 

    CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION ROCKS CAPITOL HILL, HEIGHTENS LAWMAKERS’ SECURITY FEARS

    Charlie Kirk speaking at church

    Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah Sept. 10, 2025, while on Utah Valley University’s campus as part of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour (Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images)

    In Palmetto Bay, Florida, which is located in Miami–Dade County, the mayor also called on him to resign over the post, while the council voted Monday 4–1 to censure him. Cody was the only council member to vote against the censure. 

    “As public officials, we are entrusted to lead by example and to uphold the values of respect, empathy, and civility that form the foundation of our democracy,” Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham wrote in her Thursday condemnation of the post. “We must model the kind of peaceful discourse that we want to see reflected in our society.” 

    “With this in mind, and with great respect for the office I hold, I must call for Councilman Cody to step down,” she added. 

    The councilman, however, does not plan to step down. 

    “I will not be resigning,” Cody told Fox News Digital Tuesday when asked about the mounting pressure to resign. 

    CHARLIE KIRK WARNED ‘ASSASSINATION CULTURE IS SPREADING ON THE LEFT’ IN EERIE ONLINE POST MONTHS BEFORE MURDER

    Cody was first elected as a Palmetto Bay, Florida, council member in 2020, and re-elected to the position in 2024, according to his official council biography. The councilman is an attorney who previously specialized in commercial litigation and mortgage foreclosure defense, the biography outlined. 

    Charlie Kirk before he was shot hands out hats to the crowd

    Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)

    He has since deleted the post, which included a graphic and 2023 quote from Kirk saying, “it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year” for Second Amendment rights.

    Cody authored another Facebook post Thursday backtracking his original remarks but stopping short of elaborating as to whether he would step down. 

    “I regrettably made a significant error in judgment by sharing a quotation on my personal Facebook page that referenced remarks made by the deceased Charlie Kirk in 2023 concerning the Second Amendment and gun violence,” he wrote. “This action, born out of my deep anger and frustration with the now too common tragedy of gun violence, was misguided.” 

    Steve Cody, a Florida councilman, and a Charlie Kirk memorial.

    A side-by-side photo showing a memorial for Charlie Kirk following his assassination, and Palmetto Bay councilman Steve Cody’s official government photo.  (Phill Magkoe/AFP via Getty Image/palmettobay-fl.gov)

    CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER THE LATEST IN INCREASING POLITICAL VIOLENCE NATIONWIDE, FROM PA GOVERNOR TO SCOTUS

    “I want to state unequivocally that this post did not and does not reflect my personal values, my deeply held beliefs, or my solemn responsibilities as an elected official,” he added. 

    Cody’s Facebook page was no longer available as of Friday afternoon, Fox News Digital found. 

    hansen-mortuary-charlie-kirk

    Flowers are pictured outside Hansen Mortuary Chapel Sept. 12, 2025. Charlie Kirk was brought to Hansen Mortuary Chapel in Phoenix the day before.  (Andrea Owens)

    CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING LEADS TO OUTPOURING FROM UTAH OFFICIALS, 2025 NOMS ON BOTH SIDES

    Kirk was assassinated in Utah Sept. 10 while on Utah Valley University’s campus as part of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour, when he was struck by a single bullet to the neck. He was in the midst of speaking with students while sitting under a tent outside when he was shot. 

    The suspect in the assassination was identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a Utah native. He was apprehended later Thursday evening, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told the media Friday. Cox added that shell casings recovered at the scene of the shooting were inscribed with anti-fascist messaging, shedding light on a political motive behind the tragedy. 

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    Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

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  • ICE Operation Midway Blitz targets Chicago with federal enforcement

    ICE Operation Midway Blitz targets Chicago with federal enforcement

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    The Department of Homeland Security ramped up its Chicagoland operations Tuesday, as ICE’s Operation Midway Blitz was met by resources from Border Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino’s Operation At-Large utilized in Los Angeles in August. 

    “Well, Chicago, we’ve arrived,” Bovino said in captioning a video taken from vehicles rolling northbound on the Barack Obama Expressway (I-55) toward the Windy City.

    “Operation At-Large is here to continue the mission we started in Los Angeles—to make the city safer by targeting and arresting criminal illegal aliens,” Bovino wrote.

    “We are already going hard this morning!!! Many arrests,” he told Fox News.

    CHICAGO-AREA MAYOR, CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE BRAGS ABOUT LENGTHS HE’S GONE TO FLUMMOX ICE

    chicago-ice-protests

    Demonstrators march past the Chicago Theater during a protest against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies Sept. 6, 2025, in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

    Border Patrol sources told Fox News that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also arrived in the Land of Lincoln, overseeing a morning operation in the exurb of Elgin, Illinois. 

    A tactical team served a felony arrest warrant for illegal re-entry in one case, with sources saying that roadblock led to the feds making an “explosive” entry into a home.

    Noem posted a video showing a man being led out of a house in predawn hours, captioned by a reminder of a situation involving an ICE agent being dragged and severely injured by a vehicle driven by a criminal illegal immigrant who resisted arrest.

    “President Trump has been clear: If politicians will not put the safety of their citizens first, this administration will,” she said.

    “I was on the ground in Chicago today to make clear we are not backing down,” she said. “Just this morning, DHS took violent offenders off the streets with arrests for assault, DUI, and felony stalking. Our work is only beginning.”

    ARCHITECT OF LA ICE RAIDS REPORTEDLY ARRIVES IN CHICAGO AS FOCUS SHIFTS TO WINDY CITY, AGENT’S HISTORY

    ICE also arrested a violent gang member found guilty of murder charges after a maximum security prison outside Chicago declined to honor a federal detainer.

    Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, Illnois, released Aldo Salazar Bahena in line with Illinois sanctuary policies, and it took three days for ICE to find and arrest him themselves.

    Salazar Bahena had been locked up for about 20 years but was released despite a 2016 order of removal signed by an immigration judge from the Justice Department.

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    The convict came to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident in 1998 but never took action to become a citizen and instead retained Mexican citizenship.

    Salazar was jailed in connection with the 2005 murder of Fernando Diaz, Jr., who was accused of making disparaging comments about Salazar Bahena’s “Larazo” gang.

    He was convicted in Kane County in 2016 and lost legal permanent status, leading to the judge ordering his removal.

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  • FBI’s Arctic Frost investigation targeted dozens of Republican entities

    FBI’s Arctic Frost investigation targeted dozens of Republican entities

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    Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, revealed Tuesday that the FBI’s election-related investigation into President Donald Trump, launched in 2022, swept in dozens of Republican entities, including the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA.

    Speaking during a hearing focused on oversight of the FBI, Grassley said the investigation, which the bureau called “Arctic Frost,” was partisan in nature and that its expansive scope was evidence of that.

    “In other words, Arctic Frost wasn’t just a case to politically investigate Trump,” Grassley said. “It was a vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus.”

    FBI INVESTIGATING LEFTIST GROUPS FOR POSSIBLE TIES TO CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION: SOURCE

    Kash Patel, Chuck Grassley

    FBI Director Kash Patel talks with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, before a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

    Since January, Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have been publishing records related to Arctic Frost, the investigation launched during FBI Director Chris Wray’s tenure that served as the basis for former special counsel Jack Smith to bring criminal charges against Trump related to the 2020 election.

    Grassley unveiled a new set of documents during his opening statement on Tuesday that showed numerous Republican-affiliated organizations and people were targeted with subpoenas during Arctic Frost.

    Christopher Wray

    Then-FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Department of Justice on Dec. 6, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

    Some targets on the list were well known, such as Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, who spread unproven allegations that widespread election fraud occurred during the 2020 election. But the basis for targeting other groups, like Kirk’s group and the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), was less clear.

    CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN’S MOTIVES REMAIN ‘ELUSIVE,’ CBS NEWS ANCHOR CLAIMS

    “For years, the deep state, unelected Biden bureaucrats — including the FBI — used lawfare to target Republican AGs and many other close friends because we were allies of Donald Trump,” RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The Biden Administration bastardized the rule of law, gave license to lawless liberals, and did everything possible to kneecap any and all opposition. Republican AGs will work to hold these bad actors accountable and help President Trump restore objectivity to our federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.”

    Charlie Kirk in October 2024

    Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk arrives to speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Thomas & Mack Center, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

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    Kirk was assassinated last week while speaking during an event at Utah Valley University. He was a prolific conservative activist and his massive organization remains a part of his legacy. Turning Point USA recruited conservative college students and was heavily involved in promoting election turnout. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Kirk amplified some of Trump’s claims about election fraud.

    Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Department of Justice leaders have said the suspect in Kirk’s shooting, Tyler Robinson, was driven by leftist ideology but that the investigation remains in an early stage. Authorities said antifascist messaging found on bullet casings, Discord messages and other messages have helped to develop an understanding of Robinson’s motive as the investigation continues.

    Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

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  • Kash Patel and Adam Schiff clash over Ghislaine Maxwell prison transfer

    Kash Patel and Adam Schiff clash over Ghislaine Maxwell prison transfer

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    FBI Director Kash Patel sparred with Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tuesday, escalating to the point where Patel labeled Schiff a “political buffoon.” 

    The exchange occurred as Schiff pressed Patel for details on why the late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred to a minimum security prison after U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell in Florida. The visit came after the Trump administration announced it would not unseal investigation materials concerning Epstein. 

    As a result, Schiff asked Patel to clarify what prompted Maxwell’s transfer, and who made the decision to move her and why. When Patel said the Bureau of Prisons signed off on the move, Schiff cast doubt that it moved Maxwell independently and without any outside input, given the timeliness of Blanche’s meeting with Maxwell. 

    “You want the American people to believe that?” Schiff said. “Do you think they’re stupid?”

    “No, I think the American people believe the truth. That I’m not in the weeds on the everyday movements of inmates,” Patel said before members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “What I am doing is protecting this country, providing historic reform, and combating the weaponization of intelligence by the likes of you and we have callously proven you to be a liar in Russiagate, in January 6. You are the biggest fraud to ever the United States Senate. You are a disgrace to this institution and an utter coward.” 

    “I’m not surprised,” Schiff said. 

    “I’m not surprised,” Patel said. “You continue to lie from your perch and put on a show so you can go raise money for your charade. You are a political buffoon at best.” 

    Maxwell has been convicted on charges including sex trafficking of a minor and is serving a 20-year sentence.

    This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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  • Bill Barr denies improper Trump-Epstein link in newly revealed House testimony

    Bill Barr denies improper Trump-Epstein link in newly revealed House testimony

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    FIRST ON FOX: The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday released a roughly 120-page transcript of former Attorney General Bill Barr’s deposition, and it appears to affirm Republicans’ claims that the former Department of Justice (DOJ) official had no knowledge of any incriminating ties between President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.

    That’s despite the top Democrat on the committee claiming last month that the full transcript did not clear Trump of wrongdoing.

    The House Oversight Committee has been investigating the DOJ handling of Epstein’s case, having subpoenaed multiple people and entities in the process.

    Among them is Barr, who told investigators that he’s had two conversations with Trump about Epstein – once after the late convicted sex offender committed suicide, and another time he could not place.

    HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE

    A three-way split image of Bill Barr, Jeffrey Epstein, and Donald Trump

    Former Attorney General Bill Barr’s deposition before the House Oversight Committee, where he discussed President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, was released on Tuesday. (Getty Images)

    Barr also denied Trump expressed any views on the DOJ’s Epstein probe, nor did he give instructions or state preferences in its conduct, according to the transcript obtained by Fox News Digital.

    During a line of questioning led by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, Barr said he never recalled telling Trump his name appeared in documents related to Epstein.

    “I’m curious to know, in those conversations that you do recall with the president, do you recall ever informing him that he was in the Epstein files at all, number one?” Crockett asked, according to the transcript.

    Barr replied, “Well, I’m not sure what ‘Epstein files’ refer to these days. But, no, I didn’t — I didn’t have that kind of conversation with him. I think at some point logs were made public that he was on Epstein’s plane making commutes from — or flying between Miami and New York or Miami and New Jersey or stuff like that, and I think that that got out publicly. I don’t recall discussing that with him.”

    HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE RELEASES THOUSANDS OF EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS

    Crockett then asked, “And you have no direct knowledge of any of the young women or women that claimed that they had encounters with the president through Epstein, correct?”

    “I was never told that there was evidence to support that claim,” Barr said, according to the transcript.

    Barr later told investigators that he believed any incriminating evidence about Trump would have leaked if it existed, and he suggested the same would have been true of former President Bill Clinton, who, like Trump, was also known to be friendly with Epstein at one point.

    “I think it would come out if there was any feeling that, within the government, on either side, that someone was covering up. I think it would get out. I mean, [the Southern District of New York] is also — and New York — is also well-known as being the home of many, many a leak on investigations,” Barr said.

    A House Oversight lawyer asked, “So, in your experience, you have no doubt, if SDNY prosecutors saw evidence of a crime, they would’ve followed that evidence, and if it led to an indictment, they would’ve indicted, and if it led to a conviction, they would’ve followed the facts where they led. Is that fair?”

    Rep. Robert Garcia

    Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on July 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

    Barr said he would have anticipated such moves, even for high-profile individuals.

    “I also feel, you know, that, you know, they would’ve done the same for Clinton, I believe,” he said.

    “I think – you know, remember, this stuff also went on under President [Joe] Biden’s administration, and they were looking for something to bring against President Trump, and this was — if they had evidence, this would’ve been low-hanging fruit. I just don’t — I was never informed of the evidence, and I’m skeptical there is any.”

    The former Trump administration official also conceded, however, “I think it is possible that the SDNY did not inform me, you know, how deep they were in the investigation of particular individuals. That would not surprise me.”

    “By the same token, I feel that my view of that office and the people involved would be that, if they had evidence establishing a crime, they would pursue it as such,” Barr added.

    Partisan sparks flew after Barr’s testimony after the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., argued that his remarks did not clear Trump of wrongdoing.

    “[T]o be clear, yesterday, during his deposition with the committee, Attorney General Barr could not clear President Trump of wrongdoing. Chairman [James Comer, R-Ky.,] should release the full unedited transcript of his interview for the public,” Garcia wrote in an August statement.

    But the transcript appears to show that, at least to Barr’s recollection, Trump was not tied to Epstein in any criminally liable way.

    Of the two conversations with Trump regarding Epstein, Barr said, “One was when I heard about the suicide. I called him up and said, ‘You better brace for this,’ and I told him words to that effect, and I told him about it and told him we were going to be investigating it very vigorously. And the second one, I can’t say for sure whether it happened before his suicide, during — meaning around the time of his arrest or whether it happened after his suicide during the continued developments there.”

    The transcript also showed Barr defending current Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly informing Trump that his name appeared in the Epstein files in recent months as standard procedure.

    “I think that would normally be what the attorney general would do, you know, is to give the president a heads-up if something is going to happen like that, the release of documents that have his name in it and that will be, you know, a lot – there would be a lot of speculation about it,” Barr said. 

    “It’s completely normal to tell the chief executive that his name is about to be released. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that.”

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    Barr did not recall many specifics of the investigation throughout, but he did concede at one point that there were shortcomings in the federal probe. More specifically, he described the period when authorities were unable to locate Ghislaine Maxwell as “embarrassing.”

    And despite controversy erupting over the DOJ declaring the case closed earlier this year, Barr dismissed any conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death.

    “Absolutely,” he answered when asked if he still believed Epstein committed suicide.

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  • New GOP federal funding plan adds $30M security after Charlie Kirk assassination

    New GOP federal funding plan adds $30M security after Charlie Kirk assassination

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    House Republicans have released a plan to avert a government shutdown at the end of this month, and it includes roughly $30 million in additional security funding for lawmakers.

    It comes days after Charlie Kirk’s assassination last week during a college campus speaking event in Utah.

    The measure is mostly a straightforward extension of current government funding levels, called a continuing resolution, or CR, in order to give House and Senate negotiators more time to reach a deal. It would extend through Nov. 21.

    Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he wants to hold a House-wide vote on the measure Friday, after which it will be taken up by the Senate.

    SECRET SERVICE UNDER PRESSURE: WHAT KIRK’S ASSASSINATION MEANS FOR TRUMP’S SECURITY

    Mike Johnson at Charlie Kirk vigil

    Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks during a memorial vigil for Charlie Kirk in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol 2025 in Washington, D.C., on Sept, 15, 2025. (Getty Images)

    President Donald Trump must sign the measure into law by Oct. 1, the beginning of fiscal year 2026, to avert a government shutdown.

    House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., earlier briefed lawmakers on member security options and plans for the funding increase during the House GOP’s weekly closed-door conference meeting.

    Two sources told Fox News Digital earlier on Tuesday that Steil proposed adding $30 million to a mutual aid fund between Capitol Police and local law enforcement for the duration of the CR, which House leadership sources confirmed would be included in the bill.

    “The proposed $30 million plus-up would be into the mutual aid bucket, one of the many programs available. The mutual aid bucket is a program where U.S. Capitol Police reimburses local law enforcement to provide security, traditionally, in a member’s district,” Steil said when asked by reporters after the meeting.

    The legislation would also honor the Trump administration’s request for an additional $58 million in security funding for the judicial and executive branches.

    Another $1 billion would be included in Washington, D.C.’s annual budget, which is allotted by the federal government.

    Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said he anticipated that the lawmaker security funding boost in the CR would also make way for discussions for more long-term lawmaker security enhancements, likely in the annual appropriations process for fiscal 2026 funding.

    Trump speaks to reporters at the White House

    President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he leaves the White House in Washington, D.C., Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025.  (Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo)

    “What you’re trying to do, put in perspective, is if you had 24/7 for every member, all 435, it’s billions of dollars,” Fitzgerald told Fox News Digital. “So we’re trying to come up with something that makes sense and that members are comfortable with.”

    He continued, referencing the recent assassinations of a Minnesota state Democratic lawmaker and Kirk, “It’s become something that we’ve already been, since Minnesota, focused on. And now with Charlie Kirk, it’s just gone off the charts trying to figure out what you can do.”

    And while the desire for added security is palpable among Democratic lawmakers as well, House and Senate Democrats’ frustration at being sidelined in government funding discussions has their leaders threatening to oppose the CR en masse.

    With a narrow House GOP majority of just two seats, Johnson can afford little dissent among his own conference.

    CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION ROCKS CAPITOL HILL, HEIGHTENS LAWMAKERS’ SECURITY FEARS

    One House Republican told Fox News Digital that Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., raised concerns in the Tuesday morning meeting about current Capitol security being weak.

    Burchett, who told Fox News Digital he is still undecided on the bill, confirmed he believed member security measures are inadequate. 

    “I’ve got some real problems there,” he said, adding of the proposed security increases, “It’s not gonna help with that. That’s personnel. That’s leadership.”

    Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also all publicly expressed concerns about voting for a CR.

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    But Johnson argued in a Tuesday press conference that the onus would be on Democrats if they voted against the GOP-led CR.

    “Unfortunately, there are some Democrats who are openly pining for a government shutdown in spite of this obvious and necessary step,” he said. “Some of them apparently believe that shutting down the government will be some sort of life raft for them so they can regain the support of the American people. I just think that is a fool’s gambit.”

    He also confirmed that Kirk’s assassination gave way to renewed discussions about lawmaker security.

    “The tragedy has also initiated a number of uncomfortable but necessary conversations about important issues, like the safety and security of our members and the responsibility of public servants, and the need for political leaders to turn down the temperature and the violent rhetoric in America,” Johnson said.

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  • Cory Booker erupts at Patel, predicts he’s ‘not long’ for his job

    Cory Booker erupts at Patel, predicts he’s ‘not long’ for his job

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    A fight between Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and FBI Director Kash Patel erupted on Tuesday during a hearing as Booker grilled Patel about controversies surrounding his tenure at the bureau.

    Booker accused Patel of making the country “weaker and less safe” and predicted he would not last as FBI director, before a yelling match ensued.

    “I think you’re not going to be around long,” Booker said during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. “I think this might be your last oversight hearing, because as much as you supplicate yourself to the will of Donald Trump and not the Constitution of the United States of America, Donald Trump has shown us in his first term, and in this term, he is not loyal to people like you.”

    Cory Booker at Senate hearing

    Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., questions FBI Director Kash Patel during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 16, 2025. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

    “That rant of false information does not bring this country together,” Patel shot back, before adding, “It’s my time, not yours.”

    “My God! My God!” Booker exclaimed.

    The clash came as Booker was grilling Patel over firings at the FBI and sealed grand jury testimony he gave during the prosecution against President Donald Trump over classified documents.

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    Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, interjected and scolded Booker, calling for order. The New Jersey Democrat stormed out after his questioning concluded.

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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