Transcript

Tim Wildman: Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah yesterday

>> Ed Vitagliano: As we watch world events unfold and fulfill Scripture, it's hard to believe anyone could doubt God and his Word are real. And yet there are so many who either question or completely refuse to believe it. The God who speaks is a 90 minute documentary that hits the doubt head on with evidence that proves God is real and His Word is the ultimate authority. Watch it anytime and invite others to watch with you. Just visit stream.afa.net that's stream.aca.net welcome to today's Issues, offering a Christian response.

>> Tim Wildmon: To the issues of the day. Here's your host, Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association. Well, good morning everybody and welcome to Today's Issues on the American Family Radio Network. Today is Thursday, September 11th, 2025. I'm Tim Wildmon. We thank you for joining us on the program. In studio with me is Evattagliano. Good morning, Ed.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Good morning, Tim.

>> Tim Wildmon: Fred Jackson.

>> Fred Jackson: Good morning.

>> Tim Wildmon: And Chris Woodward.

>> Chris Woodward: Good morning.

>> Tim Wildmon: very, very sad day, for all of us here at American Family Association, American Family Radio, after what happened yesterday with, our friend, not my personal friend, but the friend of our movement and a close personal friend of many of the people that we know here at American Family Radio. Charlie Kirk, was assassinated in Utah yesterday, as everyone knows by now. And, he was a, prominent leader in the, movement to reach especially millennials and college age kids with the truth of the gospel of Christ and also, what's great about America. And just a conservative champion, Charlie Kirk was. And, we're going to talk more about his life a little bit later on. Very, very, very influential, person, which probably explains why he was assassinated. but Fred, as far as the facts of the story go, what's the latest?

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, there was a briefing just about an hour ago and we have placed this story on our website. the headline is, Charlie Kirk's killer blended in on Utah University campus and a high powered rifle is recovered. the sniper who assassinated Charlie Kirk is believed to have jumped off a roof and fled into a neighborhood after firing one shot and has not been identified. In a briefing just an hour ago, authorities also said they've recovered a high powered bolt action rifle they believe was used in the attack. And, are reviewing video footage of the person they believe was responsible. Shooter appeared to be of college age and blended in on the university campus where Kirk was killed on Wednesday. That according to Beau Mason, the commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety. So that is what we know so far. Now, the Wall Street Journal at this hour has its main headline, ammunition in Kirk Shooting, engraved with transgender anti fascist ideology. Sources say a number of other media outlets are also reporting that. But the Wall Street Journal is being more specific, Ed. For example, cnn.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes. CNN has this headline, Federal officials probe rifle and ammo scrawled with cultural ph.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: So they weren't going into detail. And in the body of the story, they do also do not go into detail as to the nature of what was scrawled on the ammunition, instead saying it's not yet clear if they point to a motivation in the attack.

>> Fred Jackson: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: So it's. Maybe CNN is. I want to be fair here. Maybe they feel like they need to do their due diligence, get the facts. But the Wall Street Journal and other sources have made public the fact that according to sources, the ammunition was scrawled with, trans. either pro trans or, words against the. What they call the anti trans, message, and anti fascist message. So, anyway, that's. That goes to what you were talking about in terms of the Wall Street Journal.

>> Fred Jackson: That's what we know at this hour.

>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.

There was a lot of misinformation about the Lord Terry shooting yesterday

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, so, this is. I watched the video yesterday. It happened. What. What time?

>> Fred Jackson: About, I think it was around noon, Utah time.

>> Chris Woodward: Yeah. Early afternoon for us.

>> Tim Wildmon: So, Chris, the. The video I saw, which a lot of people have seen now, I mean, everybody had their cell phone there at the, event. And then the news media. Like something out of a horror movie.

>> Chris Woodward: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Oh, yeah, it was. It was like. You're like. This really didn't happen, did it? This is an AI generated photograph.

>> Ed Vitagliano: A lot of us thought it might have been the initial videos that were being sent around. Lots of people were saying, is this AI generated?

>> Chris Woodward: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: but then, as it turned out, it was. It was not.

>> Chris Woodward: Yes. And that's one of the things that newsrooms, including ours, are gonna have to deal with going forward. The longer the Lord Terry's, the more we're gonna have to wonder, is this even real? And there was a lot of misinformation yesterday, in the immediate hours following that. But to, Tim's point here, there's video, there's pictures out there. There's even, images. I shared this a moment ago. It's the independence version of the Wall Street Journal story that these guys mentioned. The Wall Street Journal stuff may be behind a paywall. So I'll share the, independence version, which piggybacks off Wall Street Journal. But you can tell from, like, the Post, you see a spotlight of somebody that appears on a rooftop here. And I bring up the rooftop because earlier this morning, Rusty Pugh in one of our morning newscasts, had sound bites from a lot of people, including retired FBI supervisor James Gagliano, who believes the attack took a lot of pre planning and may have actually involved some, quick actions by the shooter or shooters. Clip 11.

>> Donald Trump: This is the most chilling thing about this manhunt. And what's got me the most concerned in law enforcement is if you come off that roof and I've seen the drone footage of this, there's an open air parking lot behind that building. It's spitting distance from I15. I15 is a major artery, a major thoroughfare there. So this is a big concern because this person, within three to five minutes of that shot going off, could have been in a vehicle on his way out and miles and miles away. Provo airport's only about 45 minutes, from there. So these are all things that you're going to have to consider now. 3,000 people at this event. Can you imagine the amount of cell phone video footage and security footage the FBI and state and local, law enforcement officials have to grind through? This is going to be long and laborious. But Lawrence, I believe they'll have somebody in custody today.

>> Ed Vitagliano: So that was,

Fred Kirk: College campuses are notoriously bad for having little security

What is today to this?

>> Chris Woodward: Today is this morning.

>> Ed Vitagliano: This morning. All right, so, we were talking about this before the show. I am constantly amazed at the fact that. And I don't think about this often, not many people probably do at how much video is out there in terms, not just about this case, but where everybody is constantly on video from somewhere. And when you have a case like this, they'll go to, you know, house to house and say, hey, do you have a ring, ring camera on your front door? Or a like type of technology? And oftentimes they can get that kind of, video footage. you have footage in stores, you have, footage at red, lights. A lot of times there are cameras to track accidents. There's just footage everywhere. And if this was not a quote unquote professional, then probably he. I guess technically we should say she, but usually these are, males, that he may not have taken care to guard his appearance as he walked to the building. So this may be why law enforcement, Fred, I think we've read stories, we're trying to be careful here, make sure that it's something that is valid, that they have images, what they are saying. They think they have this person on camera.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. Coming in, to the area also CNN reporting this hour that they found a screwdriver near the weapon they believe was used in this. And the speculation is this guy entered the area with the gun disassembled. So for obvious reasons, he put it together inside the venue and then dropped it as he left.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Fred Jackson: Whether deliberately or he was running, if.

>> Tim Wildmon: It'S a he, but it almost always is. Yes, it is. so, and we're.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And we also have reports that the rifle was found in, among some trees in a blanket or a towel or something. Is that what you're hearing?

>> Fred Jackson: I have not seen that.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Okay.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yep.

>> Chris Woodward: We also have a clip from a guy named Jonathan Gilliam. He, you would probably recognize him. People, might know his name here, but you'd recognize him from Fox and Newsmax. He does a lot of TV appearances. Jonathan Gilliam is a retired FBI agent. He was also a Navy seal. I think he might have done some stuff with the Secret Service. He was on Fox yesterday afternoon, talking about campus security. Because some people, when things like this happen, go, how in the world is things like this happen with all the security in place today? But as Jonathan Gilliam pointed out, just because there is campus security doesn't mean it's totally secure. And that goes for a number of events. Clip 12.

>> Tim Wildmon: College campuses are notoriously bad for having little to no security, and they, they don't want to participate. And so this is something that's an issue. And for an outdoor event like this, it is, a very dangerous circumstance for people who are influencers and who speak out and can sometimes anger, the left. this is not presidential security. So Charlie had his security detail, but there's only so much they can do to secure the college because they're not authorities.

>> Chris Woodward: Now, it was interesting, I thought, when he said this is not presidential security because even President Trump himself, had a, you know, had shots taken at him.

>> Ed Vitagliano: yeah, because he was candidate at the time.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, speakers like this in the future, if they're going to do, especially going to do outdoor events, you're going to have to have bulletproof, what do you, what do you call it? Glass. The glass in front of you. Like, like, like President Trump does now. Yeah, because, Charlie Kirk yesterday was in the open air. You wouldn't think, you know, you think in America, this, and especially in Utah. Right. Utah is probably one of the safest places in America, I would guess a crime, crime wise. But this wasn't a typical, you know, garden variety, so speak crime. This was an assassination. So didn't really matter where. It could have happened anywhere.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: But. So this person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, you know, took aim from the building top. And I'm kind of surprised that nobody saw him on top of the building, but I guess those stories will come out later. But Charlie is sitting there and he got 3,000 people around him, they say, and he's. I, know speakers don't want to be behind the glass because that represents your.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Your barrier.

>> Tim Wildmon: Your barrier. And it. So the optics aren't that great. But man, he was just a. He, was just a sitting duck right there for any number. They, you know, you can't police really 3,000 people either. Somebody could, you know that some of the students were saying that the, that the, security was. The security. Yes. May have been there. But keeping people from coming on the premises in an outdoor area, and even if they wanted. If they wanted to carry a weapon, would it be almost impossible?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and that what you're talking about in terms of the closeness of the crowd, not wanting to have a, you know, plexiglass or ballistic glass barrier between Charlie Kirk and the, the people he's trying to reach. That's part of what made Charlie Kirk so popular amongst young people, is here's this really well known, very articulate, friendly, engaging speaker who allows young people coming very close. I remember seeing lots of videos of him sitting under that awning and at the table and people being fairly close to him. So to put that kind of barrier kind of lessens that. And it kind of goes to the fact that Charlie Kirk was so impactful on this age group and younger. Yeah, just adored him.

>> Tim Wildmon: Dr. Alex McFarland will be with us about the hour, who was a friend of, Charlie Kirk's and was with him just a few weeks ago in Myrtle Beach.

Tim Ferriss: Charlie Kirk's influence would have been enormous on presidential election

also, because I want to talk too about, his life, how he rose to prominence. I'm talking about Charlie Kirk. He was a college dropout.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: And then he decided to. He wanted to make an impact on youth. And, and. And boy, did he ever. And so I want to talk about how he. How God used him to bring him up to he. As. As the election goes, the presidential election goes, Charlie Kirk's influence would have been, enormous on the election of President Trump, I think. don't you?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Absolutely, yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Ah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I mean, experts say that that is true, and statistically it's. It may be a little more difficult to prove it. but the, the turn for a lot, especially young men towards conservative values and President Trump in 2024. You have to look at Charlie Kirk as the most visible person reaching that age group. So, like I said, it may be hard to statistically prove that it's Charlie, but he certainly played a huge role in that. I would think is.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, undeniable. you're listening to Today's Issues. That's the name of this program on the American Family Radio Network. Thanks for joining us. I'm Tim with Ed, Fred and, Chris, and we're talking about the death of, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated yesterday in Utah. Yes.

>> Fred Jackson: You know, it's amazing. Charlie, Kirk was a figure known around the world. Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel is being interviewed right now on Fox, but the Israeli Foreign ministry just put out a statement saying what a great friend he was of the Israeli people and a defender of Judeo Christian values. So he, he is being honored around the world today. 31 years old.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. You know, when this happened yesterday, of course you have. We, we all think, maybe. We all think about what the possible motive would be to assassinate somebody. And of course you, you're irresponsible to assign motives to somebody who's right now still on the run when you don't know for sure. Although. Oh, because that's what the lefties do. Remember, Remember the guy who went into the building to try to kill some people at the NFL office? Right. And he killed, Remember that? In New York City. What, what was that? Three or four weeks ago? A month ago or so.

>> Chris Woodward: It was fairly recently in this news cycle. It feels like six months ago.

>> Tim Wildmon: I'll look up the days about a month ago. And anyway, MSNBC showed, a video of him and say he may be a white guy when he, when he's clearly right. Clearly not, a white guy. But, but what I'm saying is the lefties and the left wing media are just so eager, so hoping that anybody who commits an atrocity like this is a white male.

>> Ed Vitagliano: By the way, I was looking at BBC coverage. Ah, we do have, four news feeds in our studio. BBC had some stock footage of Charlie Kirk in a crowd of young people walking around, people handing him things, and he's autographing them, but he's, it's a crowd just inches away from him. So this is an individual, Charlie Kirk, who loved people, loved being around people and enjoyed being up close and personal with them.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Which as we've kind of talked about around the building here, you know, and I'm sure we'll get to this subject, but, other people who go to college campuses or speak out in public are now perhaps going to have to reconfigure how they do that to prevent something like this from happening to them.

One of the first things that popped in my mind was his support for Israel

>> Tim Wildmon: But back to my. So I began to speculate to myself, what would be a motive for this. And the first. One of the first things that popped in my mind was his support for Israel. Now, that may. That may not be the case. We'll find out what the motive of the killer was.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You mean, are you talking about, like, a. Someone, sympathetic to Hamas? To Hamas or the.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, that's what I. That's what I was. That's what I. That's one of my first thoughts.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: Was he's pro Israel, talking about, Charlie Kirk. And so that's the reason. And he's vocal about it.

>> Chris Woodward: Yeah. I would tell you, after, a couple of decades working in news, you can't rule it out.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Chris Woodward: You guys have been at this longer than I have, for sure. Hey. President, Trump, says he will posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Trump did, issue remarks about Charlie Kirk's death. I can play that clip from the president if you want.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Sure.

>> Chris Woodward: Okay. Clip 2.

President Obama condemns the assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah

>> Donald Trump: To my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. Charlie inspired millions, and tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror. Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He's a martyr for truth and freedom. And there has never been anyone who was so respected by youth. Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith. And we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven. Our prayers are, with his wife, Erica, the two young, beloved children, and his entire family, who he loved more than anything in the world. We ask God to watch over them in this terrible hour of heartache and pain. This is a dark moment for America.

>> Chris Woodward: He went on to say more, but we had to cut it off there.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

Charlie Kirk: FBI says they have recovered rifle used in Utah shooting

>> Tim Wildmon: All right, let's, Again, it appears that the, law authorities are on the trail of the killer.

>> Ed Vitagliano: I do have some, I guess this is new for me, in just some terms of validating some of the things we've already said, but FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bowles said, I can tell you we've recovered what we believe is the weapon that was used in yesterday's shooting. It is a high powered bolt action rifle. That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled. So the FBI laboratory will be analyzing this weapon. Investigators have also collected footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm prints for analysis. Utah, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bo Mason said, we do have good video footage of this individual. And I assume by good video footage they mean they have facial.

>> Tim Wildmon: Would you expect the FBI to. Or the Utah Public Safety Office, whoever's in charge there, to release a photo today or video footage?

>> Ed Vitagliano: I would. I would guess they are only going to do that if they are needing the public's help.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And finding this person, if they have good video, this is my personal opinion. If they have good information and maybe even something they can use in facial recognition software, if they've got something like that, then they may be able to nail who the person is and then get, you know, cell phone data or credit cards. Yeah, I think they don't want to let him know that they know who he is. So I wouldn't expect them to release the photo unless they say to the public, we need help. What do you guys think? That's just my guess.

>> Tim Wildmon: I agree.

>> Fred Jackson: No, they know what they're doing.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: They have policies that they've used in other cases that have worked well. It actually amazes me, how they can take a print and facial recognition, that kind of technology today. They probably know a whole lot more than even what they told us this morning at this briefing.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And listen, I can't say this for sure. Maybe there's a little conspiracy theorist in me here at this point. I think the FBI probably has a substantial database on Americans. I'm guessing maybe even things that are constitutionally questionable, where they have fingerprints and other forms of identification, that, not just from criminals who have been booked, quote, unquote.

>> Fred Jackson: Oh, no.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And that they. What they do is they use that to find the purse, identify the person, and then find the person and use other evidence to convict. But I'm guessing that they have that kind of information, maybe even DNA information on a lot of Americans. I'm not sure I'd like that idea until they use it to catch someone like this.

>> Tim Wildmon: also, the killer would have. Is. Was a, would you call it, he evidently had a. Again, if it's a he. A lot of training, a lot of practice on shooting at a long distance. I would consider 200 yards to be a long distance, but, well, if.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You, if you're wanting to hit somebody.

>> Tim Wildmon: It'S, you know, this isn't for hunting purposes. well, here's what I'm saying. Do you remember after 9 11, and we haven't even talked about that yet, how they found out that the authorities found out that the. Some of the men who hijacked the airplanes were training in pilot school in Florida?

>> Fred Jackson: That's right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Remember that? Oh, yeah. I'm gonna guess that, somebody knows this guy's been, this guy, this loner has been training, you know, maybe he lives around there something like, you know what I'm saying? And he's been that, that kind of thing. Yeah. Probably going to help break the case. So we got to take a short time out right here. Dr. Alex McFarland, who is a friend of Charlie Kirk's and had him at an event, they were together, at Alex's event in Myrtle beach just a few weeks ago. Alex is going to join us. He has some thoughts on, on remembering, 9, 11 as well. And we will certainly bring him if any more news breaks about the Charlie Kirk assassination investigation.

Over 38,000 babies saved and 4,000 commitments made through preborn

>> Ed Vitagliano: Finally some Good news. Over 38,000 babies saved and more than 4,000 commitments to Christ through the ministry of preborn this year alone. Here's Dan Steiner, president of PreBorn.

>> Alex McFarland: But if we can get a mom into one of our clinics and show her her baby and she has that.

>> Donald Trump: a close encounter of the best.

>> Alex McFarland: Kind in her womb, she will choose life.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Preborn's networks of clinics provide hope, love, free ultrasounds and the gospel in action across America. This is Ed Vitagliano. Will you join PreBorn and AFR as we rescue 70,000 babies lives this year. For $28 you can sponsor an ultrasound and help save a baby's life. To donate, dial 250 and say the keyword baby. That's £250 baby. Or donate securely at preborn.com afr that's preborn.com afr.

>> Tim Wildmon: This is today's issues.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Email your comments to commentsfr.net Past broadcasts.

>> Tim Wildmon: Of today's Issues are available for listening.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And viewing in the [email protected] now back.

We're talking about the assassination of Charlie Kirk yesterday in Utah

>> Tim Wildmon: To more of, Today's Issues. Hey, welcome back everybody to Today's Issues on, American Family Radio. That's what you're listening to. Today's Issues. Tim, Ed, Fred and Chris. We're talking about the assassination of Charlie Kirk yesterday in Utah. Ah, we mentioned. And we'll do it again in just a little while. The latest from law enforcement and the they are finding out, they're saying they have the weapon they believe was used. Right, Fred?

>> Fred Jackson: That is correct.

>> Tim Wildmon: And, that they, they have video footage of the killer.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. And also reporting on one network that a screwdriver was found near the weapon.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: And they believe that this. Keep saying guy.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, we're using it generically. Yeah.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes. probably brought the weapon, if the screwdriver was used, to disassemble, the weapon prior to him going on the campus. And then when he was running away, he just threw the screwdriver away and the rifle.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, so we'll. We can talk more about that, especially if more news breaks in. And I've got some examples of violence for.

>> Alex McFarland: That.

Who's more likely to commit an act of political violence in America

>> Tim Wildmon: I want to talk about political violence in just a moment. And we're. Who's more likely to commit an act of political violence in America? But I wanted to talk to Dr. Alex McFarland, who was a good friend of Charlie Kirk's. and Alex, has heard each weekday afternoon here on Exploring the Word on American Family Radio, 3 to 4 o' clock Central time. Good morning, Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Good morning, everybody.

>> Tim Wildmon: So, Alex, how, did I know you were. How did Charlie Kirk rise to prominence? What's it. Can you give us a brief history of his story? Because he was only. He's only 31.

>> Alex McFarland: Right, I know, I know. And he, did more in 31 years than I think most of us could do. Triple that. well, the hand of God was on his life. I mean, really, there's no other explanation. the way that he got so much accomplished and so quickly, the Lord was with him. And I know from many personal conversations, and, you know, we shared the stage on four different occasions, but, backstage. And it was my joy to pray over him. October 30th of last year, he was in an event in Colorado. And we were backstage and he was about to go out in front of about 3,500 people. And we were just. We were talking about our wives and talking about the Lord. And he said, would you pray for me? And so I prayed before he went out to speak. And the thing about Charlie Kerr, I mean, he was a patriot. He loved America. He had a labyrinthine knowledge of America, the Constitution and history, but he loved the Lord Jesus Christ. And Tim, when we had him not even three weeks ago, he said, and this is pretty much a quote, he said, politics is boring. The most important thing in life is Jesus. And he said, I talk about politics because we need to right now. But he said, I Just want to say. And he said this to 2,000 people in Myrtle Beach. He said, if you haven't accepted Jesus, that's what life is all about. Forget politics for a moment. Please give your heart to Jesus. And, that's. I mean, there's a hundred things we could say about Charlie Kirk, but that man was a disciple of Jesus Christ, and he is with him now.

>> Tim Wildmon: Well, 31 years of age and built a organization, Turning Point USA. I began to hear about that, six, seven years ago, I guess. Maybe, I'm not sure when he started. but I was going, this young fella, 24, 25 years old, is creating a movement. And, like you said, something that the hand of God had to be on when you would hear him speak. I was, I was going, thank God somebody's going to the college kids and the millennials and the Gen X's and the younger group that, need the kind of information and education. And also what Charlie Kirk did better, than anybody, or as good as anybody I could say, I should say, is he didn't just preach. He, he debated like you do, Alex. He debated, and, he took on all comers. He did. He would give a microphone to somebody for five or 10 or 15 minutes who would just basically grill him.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, and like, like Alex do it very respectfully.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Although not backing off, which, what he believed. Alex does this. Frank Turek, others do this. But this was. I always. I want to say this is part of Charlie Kirk's charm. I want to use that word because, he, there was something about his personality and the fact that he was loving, he was approachable, he respected his opponents. Even if he might say, well, you're, you're, delusional, or you, you've been brainwashed. He would have that banner sometimes, behind them. But, prove me wrong.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, well, yeah, he, he, he, he.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Was so engaging that all these young people just loved being around him. And that's, that's why whoever this person is, and maybe there's more than one person involved in the assassination. But if they think by taking out Charlie Kirk they're going to turn the tide away from what Charlie Kirk was talking about, that's going to backfire.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Because a lot of these, especially young men, are going to be very angry and they are going to, they're going to attach the assassination to the kinds of things Charlie was talking against. And I think this is going to backfire. If this assassin thinks it was going.

>> Alex McFarland: To stop this movement so listen to this. And you know, the guys making the rounds on colleges, that would include Frank Turek, who's been a friend of mine for 30 years myself. I've spoken at about 200 college campuses. I think Charlie has spoken at like 850 colleges. and Dinesh D'. Souza, ah, does the college circuit. And you know, in a way, it could have been any of us. I mean, really. Because listen, I was at the University of Toronto in Canada a couple of years ago, and I remember I had probably 2,000 students giving me the middle finger and screaming at me. not that, you know, but here's the thing. The hand of God was on Charlie. And three weeks ago we were backstage and I said, how many students are in the TPUSA chapters? And he said, I'm going to say the low number, maybe 450,000. But he said it may be as m many as 650,000. And here's the thing. only the Lord can do that. I do believe Charlie. I mean, he was brilliant, he was godly, he was thoroughly biblical, but with good humor. I mean, he had such an endearing smiling countenance about him. But, listen, I've never had numbers like that. And we've tried and to a degree have mobilized lots of teens to get saved and defend the faith. But I believe, it was a miracle of God what Charlie did with Turning Point USA. I truly think that, Trump winning in 24. Charlie and his, constituency played a huge role in that, especially first time voters and young voters who went to the polls and, voted conservatively. And so, you know, for God and country, I mean, this man was the real deal.

Millette: I just jotted down a few examples of political violence

For real.

>> Tim Wildmon: we'll find out who killed Charlie Kirk. You know, the FBI and others are hot on a trail of this individual, it sounds like. But, you know, you start speculating about what the motivation would be to assassinate somebody, that would have to be some really dark, deep hatred for an individual or the cause he represents or both. But listen, I'm just. I just jotted down a few cases of, political violence that we've seen in the last eight, five to ten years. of course, we had the GOP baseball field.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That was 2017, was it?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. The man went on the baseball field where the congressman, the republic Republican congressmen were, practicing for the annual congressional baseball game and just started shooting.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, he asked somebody, which ones are the Republicans?

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, yeah, 2017. And I want to say he. He read the Southern Poverty Law Center. No, he Was a. No, he was a donor to, Bernie Sanders. They found out. Remember that? And he had some connection to reading SPLC materials too as well. If I remember correctly about that. I could be wrong on that one. Although the SPLC was cited later. So you got that. Then you had the, Family Research Council, case where. Remember our friends there?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: The man, went in, intended to assassinate or murder all the people at the frc, Tony Perkins and all those.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And to leave a Chick Fil A sandwich on each person's desk.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Because Chick Fil A was a Christian organization.

>> Tim Wildmon: He, he did say the splc.

>> Fred Jackson: Yes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Information influenced him. Right. Yes, I was right about. He did say that in the courtroom, I believe. So you had that then you had the, President Trump was attempted twice. Yes. You know, once in Pennsylvania that we know about struck. The other one was the guy trying to shoot him at the, golf course. Golf course in Florida. You had, the Nashville trans, shooting. Trans, Christian, school, transgender person went in and, and started, that was a girl who wasn't it? A girl who thought she was a boy or whatever. Yeah. So she, but she, so she decided to take that on. Innocent children in a school. Trans. And then last, what, couple weeks ago, we had to happen in Minnesota, same thing, Catholic school, a boy who thought he was a girl and he, he wanted to kill, the Christian kids there in the school.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And, and don't forget, this is not quite tied to conservative slash Christian. But the United Health Care Net CEO who was murdered.

>> Tim Wildmon: Right.

>> Ed Vitagliano: that was, you know, targeting, you know, capitalistic enterprises. But from the left, you know, that's true.

>> Tim Wildmon: And there are others. But, but my point is that the political left is. I remember Joe Biden saying the, the greatest threat to our country right now is the white supremacists. They're everywhere.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.

>> Tim Wildmon: They're, they're, they're everywhere. It's. And I'm going, no, they're not. They're not everywhere. You're just trying to, drum up fear against people based on nothing. I mean, other white supremacists. Well, there's 330 million people who live here. There's probably some white supremacists. But. And you do hear from time to time about, you know, those skinheads and all that stuff. But, but no, I just laid out for you. Can you give me examples of right wing violence against left wing people that you can think of in the last 10 years? Can you think of anything like that? I can't Just Smollett. Just M. What was his name?

>> Ed Vitagliano: Jesse.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, Jesse Smith tried in bit one, you remember that one? He said, they said, we, need a, we need a case here. So just Millette tried to invent one by saying, you know, the, the two MAGA guys in Chicago in the middle of the winter in the 1am were waiting on him to come out of subway.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Walking around with a noose.

>> Tim Wildmon: Walking around with a noose and bleach, you know.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah. And by the way, media bought it though.

>> Tim Wildmon: They went with it. You remember that? They so wanted that to be true.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And then it's not unusual for members of the homosexual community to call the cops and, and claim a anti LGBTQ hate crime with letters, words scrawled on the garage door or what have you. And then as it turns out, it was actually the, the lesbian or whoever that did it themselves to try to create the image of a lot of these hate crimes.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah. Then you got, remember they try to say that Bubba Wallace or what was his name, the NASCAR driver. NASCAR driver over Talladega. There was, there was a noose. Remember that one?

James Kirk: Christian nationalists are committing acts of violence across America

>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.

>> Tim Wildmon: That one in the pit area. Yeah, yeah. Just these people so want their, their prognostic prognostications to be true. That they can, that it's the white.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Supremacists that are, or the Christian nationalists.

>> Tim Wildmon: Or the Christian nationalists that they're the real threat. They're the ones who are, who are committing acts of violence across America. so anyway, listen, ah, I also. Any thoughts on what I just talked about there, Alex?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, and didn't Rosie o' Donnell talking about how they'll, make things up, didn't you know, the Annunciation Catholic Church shooter, Rosie O' Donnell quickly said it was a Republican MAGA person. 1,000% false.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, I know. It's just they, you know, and one day there's going to be a whack, a doodle on the right who does something crazy. I mean, because as I say, you talking about a country of 340 states, there are 40 million people now, I say, so you're going to find some crazy people who are going to act out. But I'm just saying you might find.

>> Ed Vitagliano: You might find, ah, some of these instances. Wasn't there an instance with someone in a car plowing through a crowd that was later said to be conservative?

>> Tim Wildmon: well, let me just say this. I don't know. I remember it happened in Wisconsin where the BLM guy got in the car and mowed down all those People at a Christmas parade. Remember that because they were white. Remember that one? Yes. That stayed in the news about six hours. that was an act of political violence from the left, right there.

>> Ed Vitagliano: M. The point is, most of these instances, I guess we get Alex back in here. Most of these instances, the vast majority of them are people on the left doing this, to, you know, either Christians, Christian children, or members of conservative, movements.

>> Fred Jackson: So I guess the question is, if there are so many incidents like this, where are they getting the mindset that somehow they have some right to kill someone, to end, what they consider opposition to their points of view? So what I'm getting at, where did they get the right that I can be violent and I'm justified in doing so?

>> Tim Wildmon: Let me just throw my thoughts out there on that and then Alex and any of you guys can join in. Christian. Real Christians don't kill people. They don't murder people. That's one of the top 10.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Right, right.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. We don't murder people.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Six.

>> Tim Wildmon: Jesus said to love your enemies. So. And that's a real challenge for my, for those of us who have flesh. Right. so that's. And Jesus knew it was a real challenge or he wouldn't told us, you know, you got to do this. You got to overcome hatred with love. You got to overcome, war with peace. you got to overcome good with evil, both in your soul and when you walk around in the public. So, real Christians don't murder people because they disagree with them politically. We understand that. You try to persuade, you try to convert, you try to, live a life, exemplary life in front of others so that they are drawn to that. You pray for people, you pray for your enemies. So that's, that's the, that's so genuine. Christians don't act out with violence against people just because they disagree with them politically. Now if you go to the other side of this equation, the people on the political left who would commit acts of violence like this or applaud it or think it's justified, most all of them are atheist. Okay? They're either atheist or agnostics or they hate God. They're angry at a God they may or may not think exists. But the bottom line is they do not have a Ten Commandments which keeps him from, from committing murder. So they don't value human life. So they can kill, harm, maim, destroy, threat. because as Ed says, this is all they have. This life is all they have. So their cause is their God. And some of them are willing to act violently on their, own their motives. Does that make sense?

>> Ed Vitagliano: What do you think, Alex?

>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely. Well, let's remember a little over a year ago, James Carville said to Bill Maher, and I'm quoting, he said, evangelical Christians are a bigger threat to America than Al Qaeda. James Carville said that. Well, that's just ludicrous. It really is. But, when we had Charlie Kirk three weeks ago during the Q and A, and we had a lot of open mic Q and A, there was, I believe it was a female, but it was a person in a hoodie who came and said, basically asked. Charlie Kirk said, how do you square your professed Christianity with your acts of violence against the LGBTQ trans community? And Charlie Kirk said, acts, ah, of violence. You know, I've told you what the word of God says, and I've said it in love. And I say that you have worth and value to Jesus the Savior, but to speak truth, that's not an act of violence. And the person kind of whispered, yes, it is. So we've got to understand, folks, that, and I want to call on people to pray. I mean, we truly need the Holy Spirit to restrain evil and open minds. But, guys, we're in a point where the secular worldview has so, blinded 50, 60 years of Americans. And we've had this vested interest in preserving lawlessness that, you know, because of the, you know, sexual promiscuity, abortion on demand, the redefinition of marriage. The challenge is there are many people who are so, wedded to the idea that there is no binding authority or moral law. That when we, like Charlie Kirk and all of us at afa, when we come along and lovingly but decisively, we tell people, no, there is objective moral truth. We're all accountable to God. We must personally and societally have a moral foundation. They say that is aggression or violence. And so it's tragic about Charlie, but the unsaved, blinded, militantly autonomous world, they believe truth telling is violent. And secular education and pundits have coached them to believe that.

>> Tim Wildmon: Yeah, that's why that person, who talking to Charlie Kirk at your event a couple, three weeks ago, used the word. What did she say?

>> Alex McFarland: They said, why do you feel like it's okay to, have violence against lbt?

>> Tim Wildmon: So words, where you're saying somebody is not living according to God's word, in their interpretation, those are words of violence.

>> Alex McFarland: And to say, I love you, you matter.

Ed: We got a death threat on Facebook about five years ago

But, a man is Not a woman.

>> Tim Wildmon: That.

>> Alex McFarland: That's.

>> Tim Wildmon: Those are words of anything less than total affirmation. This probably what happened. You know, that's what happened in Nashville, right? Yeah, the Christian school. That's what happened in Minnesota last couple weeks ago. And so, by the way, we got a threat, our own about five, years ago, right, Ed?

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's right.

>> Tim Wildmon: A death threat.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And. And two death threats, issued by. On Facebook against us promising to come up here and kill everybody.

>> Tim Wildmon: Man from Florida.

>> Ed Vitagliano: And we reported this individual to Facebook, and Facebook said it didn't violate their, community standards.

>> Chris Woodward: What?

>> Tim Wildmon: No.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Really?

>> Tim Wildmon: Really? That's what they said.

>> Ed Vitagliano: That's what they said. They said it when we appealed it, and they said, again, this does not violate our community standards. Now, the fact was the FBI thought it violated some standards because this young man was arrested, prosecuted, and sent to prison. So Facebook said it didn't violate their standards, but the FBI sure did.

>> Tim Wildmon: Wriley Gaines. I saw her last night. M. We all know who I'm talking about. Wriley Gaines, bless her. She has been bold and brave, and she's a good friend of Charlie Kirk's. And she said, I'm shaking. Because, you remember, because she speaks on college campuses and does debates all the time, too. And they said, she said, that. Remember when she was trapped out in.

>> Chris Woodward: San Francisco State University.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay. And they were chasing her, physically chasing her, and she had to go into a safe room and stay there.

>> Alex McFarland: She got punched at Berkeley. She told me this. She and I were backstage at an event two years ago, and, yes, a man punched her in the face at Berkeley.

>> Chris Woodward: That was actually at a Turning Point USA event.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, well, there you go. Charlie Kirk's event.

>> Alex McFarland: And, guys, let me say this just for what it's worth. about four or five years ago, before Elon Musk bought Twitter, when it was still Twitter, not X. But I was on a show, and somebody tweeted about Alex McFarlane. They said, why has nobody shot this POS me? And then somebody said, yeah, a million dollars for the first person that can shoot this guy.

>> Ed Vitagliano: Talking about you.

>> Alex McFarland: Me. Yeah. And so we reached out to Twitter, and we basically got a letter back in a week or so. And, they said, we're going to take it down, but it clearly was satire. and could you imagine if a conservative said something like that about a liberal?

>> Tim Wildmon: Thank goodness Elon Musk bought Twitter, right? And it became X, because otherwise you'd still be getting that type of thing. Well, we. We got some new, pictures have been released. Right, Fred?

>> Fred Jackson: That's what MSNBC is reporting.

>> Tim Wildmon: Okay, we'll talk more about that. Thank you, Alex. Appreciate it, my friend.

>> Alex McFarland: God bless.

>> Tim Wildmon: That's a Dr. Alex McFarland. Chris, thank you for your. Thank you, news and information and Ed, Fred and I shall return with Steve Paisley Jordal in 5 minutes. Stay with us. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.