Pritzker swiftly fact-checked after claiming he never derided GOP with dictatorship comparison: ‘Pathological’
Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was swiftly fact-checked by conservatives on social media for claiming he “never called Republicans ‘Nazis’” as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle traded barbs on heightened political rhetoric following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. “That is completely false. I have never called Republicans ‘Nazis,’” Pritzker said Monday while fielding questions from the media during a press conference where the Democratic state leader accused President Donald Trump of “actively fanning the flames of division” following Kirk’s Wednesday murder. Pritzker, who has condemned Kirk’s shocking assassination as “horrifying,” came under fire earlier in September when he claimed the “president’s rhetoric often foments” political violence. Now, the Democratic governor is facing impeachment efforts from state Republicans for rhetoric they claim has incited violence, and for his claims linking Nazi Germany to the GOP. MAHER SAYS COMPARING TRUMP TO HITLER MUST END, WARNS IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR KILLERS TO JUSTIFY ASSASSINATIONS Conservatives on social media unleashed on Pritzker for claiming he has “never called Republicans ‘Nazis,’” pointing to his February State of the State address. Pritzker did not explicitly call Republicans “Nazis,” but compared the newly minted Trump administration to the rise of Nazi Germany. “The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here: They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems. If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic,” Pritzker said in February. “Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance,” Pritzker added. “Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the ‘tragic spirit of despair’ overcome us when our country needs us the most.” Republicans and conservatives in the state took to X to compare his previous comments on Republicans and Nazi Germany to his press conference remarks. FOLLOWING KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL CLIMATE: ‘VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS’ “Governor Pritzker claims he’s never called Republicans Nazis, but his own words suggest otherwise,” the Illinois House Republicans posted to X Monday, accompanied by videos comparing the governor’s remarks. “Pritzker Today: I’ve never called Republican’s Nazi’s Pritzker in February: ‘Pritzker Compares Trump Administration’s Approach to Nazi Germany During State Budget Address,’” the Illinois Republican Party similarly posted to X. Critics slammed the governor as “pathological” and a “liar,” saying that his public remarks are forever achieved on the internet. Others on X pointed to Pritzker’s remarks from April during a speech in New Hampshire promoting mass mobilization against Republicans while declaring they “cannot know a moment of peace.” DONALD TRUMP JR. WARNS POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS ‘NOT GOING BOTH WAYS’ AS HE MOURNS CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH “Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption — but I am now,” he said, Fox News Digital reported at the time. “These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They have to understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have. We must castigate them on the soapbox and then punish them at the ballot box. They must feel in their bones … that we will relegate their portraits to the museum halls reserved for tyrants and traitors.” Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office Tuesday morning regarding the criticisms from Republicans over the comparison and the recent impeachment efforts in the state but did not immediately receive a reply. Pritzker is facing renewed impeachment efforts from state Republicans following the assassination of Kirk. Conservatives nationwide have argued that leftists deriding conservatives as “fascists,” “Nazis” and serving as threats to democracy led to the violence that claimed Kirk’s life. Illinois Republican state Rep. Chris Miller filed articles of impeachment against Pritzker earlier in September, claiming the governor “has engaged in conduct which, under the totality of the circumstances, constitutes inciting violence which is incompatible with the duties of his office.” Illinois Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg filed an impeachment resolution against the governor Monday while invoking the assassination of Kirk. JB PRITZKER CONDEMNS POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH, SAYS TRUMP’S RHETORIC ‘OFTEN FOMENTS IT’ “Pritzker’s remarks are providing legitimacy to radicals who are committing these heinous crimes against people like Charlie Kirk,” Niemerg said in a statement, Capitol News Illinois reported. “If it were one isolated incident — it would be one thing but there is a pattern here.” Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is the only governor in the state’s history to be impeached and removed from office in 2009, following federal corruption charges. Impeachment efforts in the state require involvement from both the General Assembly and state Senate to move forward — making the effort unlikely as both chambers are controlled by Democrats in the deep blue state. Pritzker continued in his Monday press conference remarks that Trump has encouraged American division, while calling for political rhetoric across the board to be toned down. “This should come from the top, but with each crisis in the last few years, we can’t rely on President Trump to tamp down the anger and the passion in the aftermath of political violence,” he said Monday. “Instead, he actively fans the flames of division as he did on Friday, regularly advocates violence for political retribution, and in more than one case, declares that we are at war, not with a foreign adversary, but with each other. I don’t believe any of that.” Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated while attending an event at Utah Valley University Wednesday. A single shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck while he sat under a tent on campus and spoke with students. Kirk was a conservative movement powerhouse, championing faith and family policies to young adults, most notably on college campuses. He leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two children, ages one and three. Kirk’s funeral is
Dozens of House Dems vote against crackdown on DC youth crime after Trump backs off capital police
The House of Representatives passed a pair of bills aimed at cracking down on crime in Washington, D.C., late on Tuesday afternoon, with dozens of Democrats voting against each one. The first bill advanced through the House was the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or the DC CRIMES Act. It passed the House by a 240-179 vote, with all “no” votes coming from Democrats. Just 31 Democrats voted in favor of the bill. That legislation, led by Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., would reduce the maximum statutory age of a youth offender from 24 to 18, meaning people in their late teens are eligible to be tried as adults. GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE PUSHES REDISTRICTING TO OUST STATE’S LONE HOUSE DEM It would also bar judges in most cases from being able to hand down sentences lower than the stated mandatory minimum for juvenile offenders. House lawmakers also advanced a bill led by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, that would make juvenile offenders as young as 14 eligible to be tried as adults, if accused of certain violent crimes. That age limit is currently at 16. The bill covers crimes including murder, first-degree sexual abuse, burglary in the first degree, robbery while armed, or assault with intent to commit any such offense, according to a press release on Gill’s website. The latter bill passed the House by a 225-203 vote. Even fewer Democrats, just eight, voted with Republicans on the measure. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also voted against the bill. It comes days after President Donald Trump’s 30-day emergency order federalizing D.C. police expired, with no moves from Congress or the White House to push for an extension. Trump signaled he could still extend his hold on local law enforcement, though he showed little appetite to do so. “We have virtually no crime in D.C. right now, and we’re going to keep it that way. It’s our nation’s capital. We’re going to keep it that way or we’re going to federalize it if we have to. But we don’t have to anymore because it’s in such great shape,” the president told reporters on Monday. Meanwhile, Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an order earlier this month instructing local police to cooperate with several federal law enforcement agencies, though Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was notably excluded from the list. 148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS Democrats in Congress have responded with fierce opposition to Trump’s crackdown on D.C., including the capital city’s non-voting representative in the House, Del. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., blasted the legislation that passed on Tuesday in comments to Fox News Digital. “Those aren’t bills that are serious efforts to address public safety in the Washington, D.C., area,” Jeffries said. But Republicans have positioned them as necessary remedies to what they view as a lax criminal justice system. “It is clear to members of the Committee and the public that D.C.’s soft-on-crime policies have failed to keep D.C. residents and visitors safe,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said of Donalds’ bill specifically. “Our capital cannot continue to let criminals freely roam the streets and expect this crime crisis to end.” Congress has wide jurisdiction over D.C.’s policies given its status as a federal city, despite the Home Rule Act of 1973 also granting the city the ability to have its own local government. Bowser, a Democrat, had previously acknowledged that crime in D.C. had gone down since the Trump administration’s involvement. She is scheduled to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee on Thursday.
Patel defends FBI pull-up test after Hirono decries it as gender bias in Senate showdown
Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii clashed with FBI Director Kash Patel during a heated Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, questioning agency firing and counterterrorism priorities and even calling the bureau’s physical fitness requirements “harsh” for applicants. In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Patel said, “Americans expect their FBI agents to be capable, resilient and ready to protect them. “That’s why, under my watch, every field office is receiving more trained agents, more boots on the ground and a renewed commitment to getting out from behind the desks and back onto the streets where they’re needed most. We’re rebuilding a bureau that earns the public’s confidence by being present, prepared and physically ready to do the job.” The most viral clash came when Hirono pressed Patel on fitness standards. ‘MOST TRANSPARENT’ FBI EVER: PATEL UPDATES SENATE ON KIRK ASSASSINATION PROBE “One question I had is that you are now requiring applicants to be able to do a certain kind of pull-ups, which a lot of women cannot because of physiological differences. Are you requiring these kinds of pull-ups?” Hirono asked. Patel didn’t budge. “We are requiring everybody to pass the 1811 standards at BFTC. If you want to chase down a bad guy, excuse me, and put him in handcuffs, you had better be able to do a pull-up.” Hirono replied, “There are concerns about whether or not being able to do these kinds of harsh pull-ups is really required of FBI agents.” KASH PATEL’S FBI LEADERSHIP UNDER SCRUTINY AHEAD OF SENATE JUDICIARY OVERSIGHT HEARING Patel interjected, “Doing one pull-up is not harsh, and there are always medical exemptions to that.” According to the FBI recruitment website, “Starting in November 2025, pull-ups will be a required event for all candidates.” For male recruits, 2-3 pull-ups are now a required minimum alongside the traditional Physical Fitness Test (PFT). For female candidates, one pull-up is the required minimum. Any additional pull-ups count to a recruit’s overall PFT score, with the maximum points received for 20 or more pull-ups capped at 10. The White House’s official X account, @RapidResponse47, shared the exchange in a now-viral clip on X. Beyond fitness standards, Hirono accused Patel of being loyal to Trump rather than the FBI. “Your most significant qualification … was your 100% loyalty to President Trump. And I fear that continues to be the motivating factor in your position as FBI director.” Patel rejected that claim. “That is an entire falsehood. You can delete my 16 years of government service to multiple administrations all you want. … There was no loyalty then. There’s no loyalty now to anything but the Constitution.” Patel also used the hearing to share the bureau’s wins under his leadership. He pointed to 409 cyber arrests this year and 169 convictions, a 42% increase from the same time last year. He also said FBI reassignments were part of a “surge of resources” to combat violent crime. On accusations of reassignments, Patel said, “They never left their primary job. It is a surge of resources in law enforcement working with the interagency to combat violent crime and reduce crime in historical proportions.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The FBI and the office of Sen. Mazie Hirono did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
FBI phone extractions, DNA testimony headline Day 7 of Ryan Routh trial
Jurors in the federal trial of Ryan Routh — accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024 — heard new evidence Tuesday from FBI digital and DNA specialists, including alleged text messages blasting Trump and lab results tying Routh’s DNA to key items. Routh’s witness list also narrowed. Before jurors entered, Routh, who is representing himself in the trial, told the court, “As far as I’m concerned, we’re going to exclude my son,” confirming he will not call Oran Routh, who is in separate federal custody, as a witness. Judge Aileen Cannon noted he could not revisit that decision later. Judge Cannon cut off both prosecutors and Routh multiple times Tuesday, at one point asking, “How much longer is this going to take?” She also reminded Routh to stop interrupting. When he complained, “I don’t have hot water and can’t shower … I won’t shower for a month,” Cannon told him there were “proper administrative procedures … not piecemeal, as you have grown accustomed to.” TRUMP TRIAL CONTINUES WITH MORE FBI TESTIMONY AFTER RIFLE CALLED ‘PREPARED TO FIRE’ FBI Digital forensic examiner Jerry Llanes testified Tuesday for U.S. prosecutors that a Samsung phone recovered from Routh’s black Nissan Xterra had WhatsApp messages that included a Feb. 3, 2024, exchange with a contact saved as “Chinese hero to fight.” “I know it’s very different… I think Kennedy was killed from a hill… Certainly not an easy task. If I can help, just let me know what to do,” Routh wrote. In another chain with someone listed as “Ben,” Routh texted: “What do you think of Trump?” Ben replied: “Not a fan.” “I hate him,” Routh responded. “Shan’t get elected again.” And in a WhatsApp thread with “Captain Talk Recruiting,” Routh said: “I think Trump will be a big problem for Ukraine … For sure, what an idiot. He needs to go away. He cancelled the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] for Iran. What an idiot. I hate him.” FLASHLIGHT, RIFLE, BACKPACKS: PROSECUTORS OUTLINE RYAN ROUTH’S ALLEGED SNIPER SETUP From another device, Llanes described images showing flight searches from Miami to Mexico and Bogotá, Colombia, and a photo that “appears to be a rifle tied to a tree.” FBI DNA examiner Kara Gregor additionally testified that Routh’s DNA was strongly linked to the rifle grip, a reddish-brown bag, a zip tie, a bungee cord and a glove. On the rifle, she said the DNA evidence was “250 centillion times more likely if the contributors were Routh and two unknown individuals than if the contributors were three unknown individuals.” JURY SEATED IN TRIAL OF MAN ACCUSED OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Routh challenged her on cross-examination with sarcasm: “Did you test a Colt .45 case? A golf tee? A blue flashlight? How about a Sunny D?” Gregor responded that many of those items were not tested, or she could not recall. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The trial, moving quickly due to Routh’s quick cross examinations, continues Wednesday with more forensic experts expected. U.S. prosecutors are expected to wrap up presenting their case by Friday and Routh will bring his witnesses to the stand next week.
Bondi ‘hate speech’ remarks spark torrent of criticism from conservatives
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi faced a torrent of criticism online Tuesday after she suggested in two separate interviews that the Justice Department would “absolutely target” hate speech in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shooting death — sparking intense backlash from Republicans and other conservatives and prompting her to further clarify her remarks. Bondi attempted to bridge the divide between her remarks and what she called hate speech that leads to threats in a lengthy social media post Tuesday. “Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment,” Bondi said, citing three U.S. laws that criminalize threats of direct violence, such as threats of kidnapping or injury. “It’s a crime.” FOLLOWING KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL CLIMATE: ‘VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS’ “For far too long, we’ve watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations, and cheer on political violence. That era is over,” she said, adding that “free speech protects ideas, debate, even dissent but it does NOT and will NEVER protect violence.” Bondi’s remarks, made during a “The Katie Miller Podcast” interview and in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity during conversations about the fatal shooting of Kirk, prompted backlash across the aisle, though it was conservative voices who were the loudest. Many noted that Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and subject of the interviews, was himself a vociferous defender of free speech protections under the First Amendment, which protects most forms of speech in the U.S., including offensive and hateful speech. Many also appeared to view the new statement as insufficient cover for Bondi’s previous remarks. “This isn’t a correction or a retraction or a retreat; it’s a post hoc attempt to bend the term ‘hate speech’ to mean something that it never has,” Charles C.W. Cooke, a senior editor at the National Review, said on social media. Nearly 24 hours after Bondi’s remarks, the criticism has continued — nearly all of it from Republicans and other notable conservative voices. Bondi came under fire for the two interviews Monday, neither of which distinguished the type of speech that threatened imminent violence from hate speech. “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech,” Bondi said Monday in an interview with former Trump administration aide and podcast host Katie Miller. .”We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech,” Bondi said. In a separate interview on Fox News, Bondi reiterated a similar sentiment, suggesting that the government could prosecute Office Depot after an employee reportedly refused to print posters with Kirk’s face on them. She said further that the department was “looking at” the Office Depot case in question. “Businesses cannot discriminate,” Bondi said on Fox News. “If you want to go in and print posters with Charlie’s pictures on them for a vigil, you have to let them do that. We can prosecute you for that.” “I have Harmeet Dhillon right now in our Civil Rights unit looking at that immediately, that Office Depot had done that,” she said of the Office Depot employee in question. “We’re looking it up,” she said. Most of the criticism that poured in Tuesday was from Republicans, who noted that Bondi’s remarks are a flagrant violation of free speech protections guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. They are also, some noted, directly at odds with the views famously espoused by Kirk. GOP ERUPT ON DEM RUNNING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL IN RED STATE OVER PROFANITY-LACED CHARLIE KIRK POST “Hate speech” is a hopelessly subjective term, and even if it weren’t, there is no hate-speech exception to the First Amendment,” said Ed Whelan, a conservative legal expert who formerly clerked for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. “I’m sorry, but this is the sort of leftwing progressivism that conservatives, including Charlie Kirk, abhorred,” Erick Erickson said on X. “We stand with Jack Philips, not against him.” Asked by ABC News’s Jon Karl to respond to Bondi’s remarks on Tuesday, Trump declined to clarify, and instead floated the idea of going after Karl’s outlet, albeit in a joking tone. “We’ll probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly,” Trump said.
Fani Willis permanently removed from prosecuting Trump election interference case after losing appeal
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. 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. 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. 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.
Years of campus attacks on conservative activists resurface after Charlie Kirk’s murder
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’ 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 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 “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.” 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.
Charging documents to reveal next phase in Kirk assassination probe as suspect expected in court
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. 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. 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. “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. “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. 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. 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.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz launches campaign for third term: ‘I’m staying in the fight’
Saying that he’s “not done yet,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, on Tuesday launched a campaign for a third term as Minnesota governor. “We’ve made historic progress in our state, but we’re not done yet,” Walz wrote in a social media post. And taking a jab at President Donald Trump and his administration, Walz said in a campaign launch video that “I’ll never stop fighting to protect us from the chaos, corruption and cruelty coming out of Washington.” “I’ve seen how we help each other through the hard times,” Walz added. “And boy, we’ve seen terrible times this year. I’m heartbroken and angry about the beautiful people we lost to gun violence. But it’s in these moments we have to come together. We can’t lose hope because I’ve seen what we can do when we work together.” THE MOST VULNERABLE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IN 2026 LAUNCHES RE-ELECION BID Vice President Kamala Harris picked Walz as her running mate after she replaced President Joe Biden atop the Democrats’ national ticket last summer. Taking aim at Trump and his running mate, now-Vice President JD Vance, Walz criticized the GOP ticket as “just weird.” But Trump ended up sweeping all seven key battleground states in last year’s presidential election to win back the White House. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS This year, Walz has kept up his verbal critiques of Trump as the governor has continued to build his national profile. But the 61-year-old governor was heavily criticized by Republicans after comparing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Nazi Germany’s Gestapo. The governor was called out by congressional Republicans during a June hearing, but he refused to apologize. Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach, is often mentioned as a possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, but he told Axios this summer that he wouldn’t seek the White House if he ran for re-election as governor in 2026. His three months as Harris’ running mate put Walz under the glare of the national political spotlight, and brought new scrutiny about his record as governor, and before that as a congressman, and his handling of the violent protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. He was also criticized for exaggerating his rank during his years with the Minnesota National Guard, and was faulted for leaving the military to run for Congress ahead of his unit being deployed to the war in Iraq. Walz was first elected governor in 2018, winning by 11 percentage points. He won re-election in 2022 by an 8-point margin. But he’ll be bucking history as he runs again in 2026. No Minnesota governor has won a third consecutive term since the state switched to four-year terms six decades ago. “Governor Tim Walz has been a bold leader for Minnesota, and we’re thrilled that he is running again to continue delivering for families across his state. Governor Walz is fiercely dedicated to making life better in Minnesota, cutting taxes for the middle class, going after wasteful spending, and lowering the cost of prescription drugs,” Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said in a statement. But Republican Governors Association communications director Courtney Alexander argued in a statement that “while Tim Walz is spending his time fundraising with the nation’s most liberal donors and pushing the disastrous policies of national Democrats, Minnesota is suffering. Minnesotans deserve a governor who will actually do the job, work for them, and take governing seriously. That’s not Tim Walz.” Former business executive and Army veteran Kendall Qualls and physician and former state Sen. Scott Jensen, the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee, are among the candidates running for the Republican nomination.
Ex-GOP official turned Democrat targets Trump in battleground state gubernatorial campaign launch
Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican turned Democrat, says he will take on President Donald Trump if he wins election next year as governor in the key southeastern battleground state. Duncan on Tuesday denounced Trump as he declared his candidacy, joining an increasingly crowded field in the Democratic Party primary. “I will stand up to Trump and his yes men in our state while bringing down the costs of childcare, health care, and housing so every Georgia family is in the best position possible,” Duncan pledged as he launched his campaign. Duncan, a former healthcare executive and minor league baseball player, served in Georgia’s legislature for four years before running and winning election as lieutenant governor in 2018. He decided against seeking re-election in 2022. DUNCAN SAYS TRUMP’S ATTACKS JUSTIFY HIS SWITCH FROM THE GOP TO DEMOCRATS After leaving office, Duncan – who was a vocal GOP critic of Trump’s repeated efforts to reverse his razor-thin November 2020 election defeat in battleground Georgia to former President Joe Biden – worked towards what he said was “healing and rebuilding a Republican Party that is damaged but not destroyed.” Duncan endorsed Biden in the 2024 presidential race and later supported then-Vice President Kamala Harris after she replaced Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket. Duncan spoke in a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last summer. THE MOST VULNERABLE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IN 2026 LAUNCHES RE-ELECION BID The Georgia Republican Party expelled him from the GOP earlier this year. Duncan, in a campaign launch video, spotlighted his clashes with Trump, saying he “never wavered in taking on Trump. So Georgia Republicans threw me out of their party. I was leaving anyway.” “Now I’m running for governor as a proud Democrat. To focus on what matters most to Georgians,” he added. Duncan joins a Democratic primary field that already includes former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond and former State Sen. Jason Esteves. In the Republican primary, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones landed Trump’s endorsement as he battles state Attorney General Chris Carr. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS The winner of next year’s general election will succeed popular term-limited GOP Gov. Brian Kemp. After Duncan switched parties in August, Trump took to social media to call him “a total loser.” The president charged that Duncan was “never able to get anything done, all he ever did was complain. We didn’t want him in the Republican Party any longer, so I’m told he became a Democrat. Good riddance Geoff. You don’t even have a chance!!!” Asked about the criticisms, Duncan said in a Fox News Digital interview, “I think he’s making my case for me that the Republican Party no longer wants to love their neighbor. There’s nothing in that tweet or Truth Social post or whatever that shows any sort of attitude that I want to be a part of.” Duncan, taking aim at Trump, added, “I hope he figures out how to run this country better than he is now for the next couple of years. But I’m proud to not be a Republican, especially with him at the tip of the spear.”