Thursday, Sept. 11 | By Jonathan Easley |
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© Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images |
FBI hunts for Charlie Kirk's killer
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FEDERAL AUTHORITIES are pulling out all the stops in the hunt for the assassin who gunned down conservative media star Charlie Kirk, as the nation grapples with the latest incident of political violence. The FBI on Thursday suspended a planned afternoon press conference due to "rapid developments" in the case. Officials released photos of a person of interest in connection with the shooting at Utah Valley University a day earlier. There's a $100,000 reward being offered for information that leads to the shooter's arrest. Here are the details available now from the government and media reports: • The male suspect is believed to be college-aged. The person of interest in the released photos was spotted by surveillance cameras wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, a hat and dark sunglasses. • Law enforcement recovered a bolt-action rifle in a "wooded" area nearby. The Wall Street Journal reports that ammunition associated with the gun was engraved with expressions promoting "transgender and antifascist ideology." • Investigators discovered a "footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis," according to Robert Bohls, the FBI special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City office. • Authorities were able to follow the movements of the suspect using surveillance footage, tracking his arrival on campus and through the stairwells leading up to the roof of the building where he allegedly shot Kirk. Read The Hill's Filip Timotija for everything we know about the shooting. |
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HONORS KIRK'S LIFE |
President Trump said he would posthumously award Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people," Trump said during remarks at the Pentagon, where he was commemorating the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. "We miss him greatly, and yet I have no doubt that Charlie's voice … will live on," the president added. Late Wednesday, Trump offered a longer missive casting blame on the "radical left." "For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals," said Trump, who survived two attempted assassinations during the 2024 presidential campaign. "This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now." Kirk, the co-founder of the conservative campus group Turning Point USA (TPUSA), was a superstar on the MAGA right and had close friendships with many at the highest levels of the Trump administration. Vice President Vance's government plane, Air Force Two, will transport Kirk's casket from Utah to Arizona, where Kirk's family lives and Turning Point USA is headquartered. Emotional testimonies poured in from the biggest names on the right, underscoring the mark Kirk left on conservative politics in his 31 years of life. "Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas," Vance posted in a long and personal message on X. "He would go into these hostile crowds and answer their questions… He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas." Donald Trump Jr. said Kirk was "like a little brother to me." |
KIRK SLAYING PERMEATES THE CULTURE |
News of Kirk's death dominated social media, provoking eulogies and denunciations of violence from former presidents, Hollywood actors and sports personalities. All of the living former presidents — Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — issued statements calling for an end to political violence. "I hope we all go through some serious introspection and redouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully," Clinton said. Hollywood personalities, including some on the left, expressed revulsion at the killing. Rosie O'Donnell, a longtime Trump foe, posted a photo of Kirk along with the message: "No just no—do not become the murderer—this is wrong on every level." Late show hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, who are fierce critics of Trump, spoke or posted about Kirk's death. "Political violence only leads to more political violence," Colbert said. "And I pray with all my heart that this is the aberrant action of a madman and not a sign of things to come." Sports personalities Pat McAfee and Jake Paul are among others to weigh in. "Charlie Kirk, a name synonymous with having the courage to speak what you believe and seek/welcome conversations with those whom you disagree with," McAfee posted on X. "2 kids lost a dad.. a wife lost a husband.. and societal discourse lost a voice," he added. |
Washington lawmakers expressed fear for their own safety amid the spike in political violence. "I think we all need to kind of think about outdoor events more, because you take what happened yesterday and in Butler," Rep. Jamie Comer (R-Ky.) told NewsNation, referencing the first assassination attempt against Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., last year. "It's terrible that we have to even have that conversation," Comer added. "But that's certainly something that that I think when we talk about security, you need to think about outdoor events probably are going to be a lot fewer in numbers for members of Congress, at least in the short term." NBC News reports that some members, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), are rescheduling or canceling events. Mace told NewsNation she'd start carrying a gun when permitted, arguing that the money allotted to members for security is not enough. "It's only $5,000 a month," Mace said. "For those here in Congress who are very vocal and are more well known than others, $5,000 is not much. I'm not personally rich, so we are taking different safety precautions." Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told NBC that Congressional leadership is "woefully underprepared" to deal with political violence. Asked if he feels safe, Burchett responded: "Heck no." |
The wife of former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was sentenced to more than four years in prison for her role in a scheme to trade her husband's political power for lavish bribes. The Ohio National Guard will continue deploying troops in Washington, D.C., through the end of November.
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Democratic leaders in Congress are warning Republicans they don't have the votes to pass a funding bill with only seven legislative days left before a potential shutdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) are pressing for GOP concessions in the funding fight, with the government set to run out of money on Sept. 30. The Hill's Mike Lillis reports that the chances of a government shutdown are growing, with Democrats taking cues from their base of supporters: "The one-two punch aims to put Republicans on notice that Democrats aren't ready to swallow a funding bill that cuts benefits for low- and working-class people, particularly those programs related to health care. It also sends a political message to the Democrats' liberal base — which was furious after Schumer helped usher an earlier GOP spending bill into law — that party leaders are united on the budget, at least for a moment, and itching for a fight." Schumer and Jeffries on Thursday said that any funding package must include major concessions on health care. "Hakeem and I are in total agreement, what the Republicans are proposing is not good enough for the American people and not good enough to get our votes," Schumer said. "The American people are hurting, health care is being decimated on all different fronts, people are going to die, people are losing jobs, people are losing health care." Meanwhile, some Republicans are resistant to President Trump's request for a continuing resolution (CR) that would effectively kick the government shutdown deadline into January of 2026, worried it will stick federal agencies with a year of flat funding. "I just think that we get into January, get into the new year, that it's less likely we'll do any appropriation bills and we'll have a yearlong CR," Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said. ELSEWHERE... Senate Republicans narrowly defeated an amendment that would have directed the Department of Justice to release all of its files pertaining to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. However, two Republicans, Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), broke with GOP leaders and voted against tabling the Epstein amendment, underscoring divisions on the right over the case. "We ought to release those files and trust the American people, just like we did with the MLK files and the JFK files," Hawley said. "I think this is a similar deal." In the House, the discharge petition from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) aimed at forcing a vote on releasing the Epstein files is now only one signature short. Former Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw (D) was officially sworn in to the House on Wednesday to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D). Walkinshaw signed the discharge petition, bringing it closer to the 218 signature needed. Walkinshaw's arrival also makes Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) majority in the House a little bit smaller. |
© Alex Brandon, Associated Press |
Roundup: Inflation rises, jobless claims accelerate
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Consumer prices rose again in August and the Labor Department reported an unexpected jump in unemployment filings ahead of next week's Federal Reserve board meeting. The consumer price index (CPI) rose in-line with expectations, up 0.4 percent last month for a gain of 2.9 percent over the past 12 months, as President Trump's tariffs work their way through the economy. Unemployment filings came in at 263,000, surpassing estimates of 235,000. The Hill's Sylvan Lane and Tobias Burns write: "The Fed is expected to cut interest rates for the first time this year, after a steep slowdown in the job market. But the rising inflation could boost the risks of stagflation, in which prices rise and the economy weaken at the same time." When the Fed gathers in Washington next week, board governor Lisa Cook is expected to be present, as Trump's efforts to fire her are still tied up in the courts. Stephen Miran, who Trump tapped to fill an open board governor seat, will also likely be a voting member by then, after the Senate Banking Committee voted along party lines Wednesday to advance his nomination. Miran is currently the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. MEANWHILE… Republican senators are agitating for Trump to give them the green light to move on a Russia sanctions package after Moscow's latest military provocation. "It's time for the sanctions bill to come to the floor," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of GOP leadership, told The Hill. "I think the president's got to make the final call on that, so I respect that, but I'm ready to vote for that." Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no interest in a peace deal with Ukraine. Poland this week shot down Russian drones that infiltrated its airspace, prompting NATO to invoke Article 4. ELSEWHERE… Trump on Wednesday had a "heated call" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump is angered after being blindsided by an Israeli strike on Hamas political leaders in Doha, Qatar. Qatar is a U.S. ally and officials there have been helping mediate peace talks between Israel and Hamas. The Hill's Laura Kelly writes: "President Trump has appeared sidelined this week as the Gaza and Ukraine wars expand into allied countries, posing one of the biggest tests yet to his motto of peace through strength." |
💡Perspectives: • The Hill: Putin's bid to destroy NATO. • Wall Street Journal: Putin taunts Trump and NATO. • RCP: The BLS hallucinated a million jobs. The Fed can't fix this. |
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