FBI Director Kash Patel listens as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing a Presidential Memorandum in the Oval Office on September 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — During Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel posted an update on the investigation of Kirk’s assassination, saying the FBI is “pursuing every lead.”
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested and charged with Kirk’s murder, but Patel said the FBI is looking into the “possibility of accomplices.”
“We are meticulously investigating theories and questions, including the location from where the shot was taken, the possibility of accomplices, the text message confession and related conversations, Discord chats, the angle of the shot and bullet impact, how the weapon was transported, hand gestures observed as potential ‘signals’ near Charlie at the time of his assassination, and visitors to the alleged shooter’s residence in the hours and days leading up to September 10, 2025,” Patel said in a post on X.
Patel made similar assertions during two days of House and Senate oversight hearings last week.
The online messaging platform Discord confirmed reports that about two hours before Robinson was taken into custody, he allegedly posted messages to a small group of friends on the platform that said, “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all … It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this.”
Patel addressed the Discord message during his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying that the FBI is investigating “anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat” with Robinson. Patel said there are “a lot more” than 20 people linked to Robinson on Discord, “and we’re running them all down. … Every single one.”
“There are a number of individuals that are currently being investigated and interrogated, and a number yet to be investigated and interrogated, specific to that chat room. So we are very much in our ongoing posture of investigation,” Patel told senators, adding that other people could be involved.
In his post on Sunday, Patel said, “The entire FBI mourns the loss of Charlie Kirk. We will not rest until justice is served, and our investigation into this assassination will continue until every question is answered.”
Robinson was charged with numerous offenses on Tuesday, including aggravated murder, with prosecutors last week announcing their intent to seek the death penalty.
Robinson didn’t enter a plea on Tuesday. The judge said the court would appoint an attorney for him before his next court appearance on Sept. 29.
The United Nations headquarters is seen in Manhattan on Sept. 9, 2025 as the annual U.N. General Assembly, the 80th, began with thousands of delegates and world leaders expected to attend over the next few weeks. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump and foreign world leaders will meet this week at the United Nations General Assembly where Trump is expected to deliver the first address of his second term to the annual gathering of global leaders on Tuesday — though Trump will largely be isolated from more than half of the member nations and key allies over the war in Gaza.
All eyes will be on Trump, who in recent months has initiated massive cuts to U.S. foreign aid since his return to the White House, eliminating support for U.N. agencies and aid as overseas humanitarian crises continue to grow.
Trump’s appearance at the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly comes as several prominent world leaders — and key allies — of the U.S. are set to formally recognize Palestinian statehood as international alarm continues to build over the ongoing war and starvation crisis in Gaza.
On Monday, France and Saudi Arabia will hold an international peace conference in support of the two-state solution that will take place in New York. France and several other countries are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, joining more than 140 countries which have already recognized Palestinian statehood.
Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Canada have maintained there should be an end to the war in Gaza, including the immediate release of all remaining hostages, and the understanding that Hamas would no longer be a leading authority in Gaza after the war.
The French have said that 10 countries would formally recognize Palestinian statehood at the meeting — Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Portugal, Malta, Britain and San Marino alongside France.
The U.S. will not participate in the conference and was one of only 10 countries who voted against the General Assembly resolution backing the high-level gathering.
Israel, for its part, has vowed to take action in retaliation of the formal recognition, which may include annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unequivocal in rejecting the planned international conference in a statement Sunday.”I have a clear message to those leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the terrible massacre on October 7th, 2023: You are giving a huge reward to terrorism,” Netanyahu said.
“And I have another message for you: It will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”
Critics of the recognition — which include the U.S. and the Israeli governments — have long condemned the plan, saying it only moves to embolden Hamas and further isolate Israel and the Trump administration on the international stage.
U.S. officials have said the action is largely “performative” and “symbolic” and will do nothing to help mend the relationship between the Palestinians and the Israeli government.
“I think much of that is a reaction to several nations around the world deciding to unilaterally declare a Palestinian state,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio on reports that Israel was seriously debating annexing parts of the West Bank, which some say would be illegal under international law.
“We warned them that we thought that was counterproductive. We actually think its undermined negotiations, because it emboldened Hamas, and we think it undermines future prospects of peace in the region. We thought it was unwise to do that, and I think you’re seeing that as a counterreaction,” Rubio told reporters last week.
The U.S. — Israel’s main ally — has opposed the recognition and last month moved to deny and revoke visas to the Palestinian delegation, including for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of Monday’s international conference, accusing the Palestinian leadership of undermining peace efforts. The Palestinian state holds permanent observer status at the U.N. and is not a full-blown member state.
But on Friday, the U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelming to allow Abbas to address this week’s gathering of world leaders virtually after the Trump administration declined to grant Abbas a visa. The motion passed by a vote of 145-5 with six abstentions. The U.S. and Israel voted against the motion.
On Sunday, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia formally recognized a Palestinian state — three countries who are some of the U.S. and Israel’s closest allies. The move came after an official state visit from Trump to the United Kingdom, during which he voiced his disapproval of the plan.
Other experts remain wary of the recognition, suggesting that while the acknowledgment of a Palestinian state is a long-overdue decision, it must be accompanied with more concrete action against the Israeli occupation, which launched a ground invasion last week. Such action could include an arms embargo, sanctions and more support for international tribunals investigating Israel’s possible crimes.
Trump is expected to meet with Netanyahu on the sidelines at this year’s UNGA.
Trump is also expected to meet with other foreign leaders throughout the week, including Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who will be a prominent new addition to the gathering. The meeting with Trump will mark their second meeting this year as the Syrian leader confronts the challenges of rebuilding the country after years of civil war under Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Iran’s nuclear program will also be a top-agenda item this year as sanctions against Tehran that were lifted 10 years ago are set to be reinstated. France, Germany and the United Kingdom moved last month to trigger the “snapback mechanism,” which automatically reimposes all U.N. sanctions that were in effect before the nuclear deal.
Trump will also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines this week over promised postwar security guarantees, which Zelenskyy has said are critical to resolving the war with Russia. Russian President Vladmir Putin has so far refused to engage in a good faith effort to end the war after almost four years of fighting.
Erika Kirk joins U.S. President Donald Trump onstage during the memorial service for political activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(GLENDALE, Ariz.) — Tens of thousands of people packed State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Sunday to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk, who was hailed a “martyr” by President Donald Trump and other leading conservative figures.
“I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history,” Trump said.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University for his The American Comeback Tour, which invited students on college campuses to debate on hot-button issues.
After founding Turning Point USA at age 18, Kirk rose to become one of the most prominent conservative voices in the country. But some of his comments on gun violence, LGBTQ issues, race and more often drew criticism from liberals and others.
At Sunday’s public memorial service, administration officials cast him as a “warrior” for the MAGA movement and his wife, Erika, said he died with “incomplete work but not with unfinished business.”
Here are the key takeaways.
Conservatives memorialize Kirk as ‘martyr’ and ‘warrior’
Kirk was lionized by several speakers as a modern-day martyr, many using the word in the context of his Christian faith.
“Charlie Kirk is now a martyr. His power will only grow,” conservative commentator Benny Johnson said in spirited remarks. “Evil thought there’d be a funeral today, God has created a revival right here in this house right now,” Johnson added.
Vice President JD Vance, a close friend of Kirk who escorted his casket back to Arizona on Air Force Two, said, “We must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”
President Trump called Kirk a martyr for “American freedom.”
Others praised Kirk as a “MAGA warrior,” and Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna compared him to George Washington, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
The service mixed politics and religion, as the day started with hours of Christian music before the program began. Many in the crowd stood worshipping with their hands in the air.
Speakers pledge that Kirk’s movement will continue
White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, in some of the most heated remarks of the program, said Kirk’s death created a “fire in our hearts.”
Miller railed against an unnamed enemy, telling the crowd: “They cannot imagine what they have awakened. They cannot conceive of the army that they have arisen in all of us because we stand for what is good, what is virtuous, what is noble.”
Trump praised Kirk’s organization as a “juggernaut of American politics” that he believed is “going to be bigger and better than ever before.”
Trump and several administration officials watched the program in a suite behind bulletproof glass, and nearly his entire Cabinet sat in the front row.
Vance noted, “Now our whole administration is here, but not just because we love Charlie as a friend, even though we did, but because we know we wouldn’t be here without him. Charlie built an organization that reshaped the balance of our politics.”
Erika Kirk says she forgives alleged shooter in emotional speech
Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, in emotional remarks, revealed that she forgives the alleged shooter, who has been charged with his murder.
“That young man, I forgive him,” she said as she was holding back tears, with the crowd jumping to their feet in a standing ovation.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was charged with a slew of offenses for allegedly killing Charlie Kirk, including aggravated murder.
“The answer to hate is not hate,” she said at the memorial service.
She also recounted the moments when she saw her husband’s body after he had been assassinated, saying she experienced “a level or heartache I didn’t even know existed.”
When she saw his body, she said she saw the “faintest smile” on his lips, telling her that he “didn’t suffer” and there was no “fear” or “agony” when he died.
“While Charlie died far too early, he was also ready to die. There was nothing that he was putting off,” she said.
Erika Kirk said taking over Turning Point USA is not something she takes lightly, after recently being elected to replace her husband as CEO, but that she and her husband share the same mission.
She said campus events will continue, stressing the need for debate and the importance of the First Amendment. “No assassin will ever stop us for standing up to defend those rights ever,” she said.
President Trump gave closing remarks, called Kirk ‘immortal’
In closing remarks for the memorial service, President Donald Trump said Charlie Kirk, whom he described as “our greatest evangelist for American liberty,” is now “immortal.”
He emphasized that Kirk was someone who had a “good heart” and was a “great American hero” who had the “will to fight, fight, fight” — a phrase that has become a rallying cry for Trump supporters since the attempted assassination attempt on him in July 2024.
The president said Kirk was a “missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose” but that he differed with the conservative activist on one point, specifically that Kirk “did not hate his opponents.”
“That’s where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them,” Trump said.
Trump also continued to predominantly blame “the left” for political violence in the U.S. He called the alleged shooter a “radicalized cold-blooded monster” and reiterated his direction to the Justice Department to investigate groups he claims contribute to political violence.
Throughout his speech, Trump strayed from talking about the conservative activist several times. His remarks on Kirk were briefly interrupted when he discussed a forthcoming announcement about autism, his tariff policy and his grievances about the 2020 election. He also added that “violence comes largely from the left.”
As Trump closed the program, he invited Erika Kirk back on stage and the two embraced.
(NEW YORK) — Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Sunday that the United States is in “one of the most dangerous moments America has ever faced” with President Donald Trump using the federal government to try to punish his political opponents.
“The United States is now employing the full power of the federal government, the FCC, the Department of Justice, in order to punish, lock up, take down off the air all of his political enemies,” Murphy told ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl. “As you know, this is what happens in Iran. This is what happens in Cuba. This is what happens in China, in deeply repressive states in which if you have the courage to stand up and speak truth to power, you are silenced. I mean, there is no more fundamental right in America than the right to protest your government.”
Murphy said Trump’s threats to have the Federal Communications Commission reexamine licenses for television broadcasters that repeatedly criticize him is an effort to use the government to silence critics.
“Listen, every single president, every single politician has drawn issue with something that a media figure has said and may use the power of persuasion to try to get them to change what they say. That’s very different than using the power of government in a coercive way that’s actually illegal. The Supreme Court has said, no, you cannot use the regulatory power of the government to say to a broadcaster, if you don’t say what I want you to say, as the president, United States, there will be a official legal consequence that’s illegal”
(NEW YORK) — Conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service will take place on Sunday, little more than a week after his murder sent shockwaves through American politics.
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several top administration officials are slated to speak at the event, which is being held at State Farm Stadium in Arizona and is expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners.
Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 in front of a large crowd at Utah Valley University, the first stop of Kirk’s “The American Comeback Tour” that invited students to debate him on hot-button issues.
President Trump announced Kirk’s death that night, and a manhunt ensued for the gunman. Authorities on Sept. 12 identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect. Robinson was charged this week with multiple counts, including aggravated murder. Prosecutors said they intend to seek the death penalty.
Kirk, 31, founded Turning Point USA at age 18 and rose to become one of the most prominent conservative voices in the country. His influence, particularly with young people, helped propel Trump to office. But some of his comments on gun violence, LGBTQ issues, race and more often drew criticism from liberals and others.
A top ally to Trump and a close friend to many in the administration, Kirk’s killing rattled many inside the White House.
The president said he will posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Vance escorted Kirk’s casket from Utah to Arizona on Air Force Two.
Kirk is survived by his wife Erika and their two young children. Erika Kirk, who has been elected to replace her husband as the CEO for Turning Point USA, vowed “the movement my husband built will not die.”
“No one will ever forget my husband’s name, and I will make sure of it,” Erika Kirk said in emotional remarks days after his death. She will also speak at Sunday’s service.
Other high-profile figures who are scheduled to deliver remarks include Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Attendees have been asked to wear red, white or blue to the service.
The memorial event has been designated as a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event by the Department of Homeland Security, meaning it will have the same level of security as the Super Bowl or the Boston Marathon.
Local officials said they wouldn’t be surprised if more than 100,000 people gather for the memorial.
Kirk’s death was met with bipartisan condemnation from public officials, as top lawmakers on both sides of the aisle raised alarm about the rising tide in acts of violence against public officials.
President Trump vowed to go after individuals and groups he claims contribute to political violence, though has predominately blamed the “radical left” as a problem and not acknowledging recent attacks against Democrats.
Vice President Vance and several administration officials are calling for punishment for people who they say have celebrated Kirk’s death or mocked him online. Some prominent MAGA figures have gone so far as to say Kirk’s death means “war.”
Democrats have pushed back on the rhetoric. Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, blasted Trump’s “finger-pointing” and said it won’t help turn down the temperature. Critics have called the conservative call for a crackdown on Democrats a threat to free speech.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on September 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Senate on Friday failed to advance both the House-passed short-term government funding bill and the Democrat counter-offer.
The Senate action came just hours after the House sent them the short-term funding bill.
The Democrat funding bill with extraneous health care provisions failed to advance, as expected, by a vote of 47-45.
The Senate then voted to block the Republican short-term funding bill just hours after the House passed it. It failed by a vote of 44-48.
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul cast votes against the legislation. Democrat Sen. John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote for it.
This leaves the Congress no closer to a government funding solution with the Oct. 1 deadline fast approaching.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — A public memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed on Sept. 10 while speaking on a college campus, is being held Sunday in Glendale, Arizona.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the service at State Farm Stadium, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and top administration officials.
Trump said he will deliver remarks at the service. The president previously said he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Being called “Building a Legacy, Remembering Charlie Kirk” — the service is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. local time, or 2 p.m. ET, according to Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded. Attendees have been asked to wear red, white or blue.
The event will be streamed live on ABC News Live, which is available on ABCNews.go.com, ABC News apps and across streaming platforms. Live blog coverage with up-to-the-minute developments will be available on ABCNews.go.com.
The Department of Homeland Security has designated the memorial service as a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event, which is “reserved for events of the highest national significance,” a department official said.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University for his “The American Comeback Tour,” which invited public debate on college campuses.
Authorities on Sept. 12 identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect. Robinson was charged this week with multiple counts, including aggravated murder. Prosecutors said they intend to seek the death penalty.
Kirk is survived by his wife and their two young children. Erika Kirk, who has been elected to replace her husband as the CEO for Turning Point USA, is also slated to speak at Sunday’s service.
Other speakers for Sunday’s service include Vice President Vance, Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on September 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The House passed the Republicans’ short-term government funding bill on Friday ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to avert a shutdown.
The final tally was 217-212. Ultimately, all but two Republicans supported the President Donald Trump-backed spending bill with Reps. Thomas Massie and Victoria Spartz voting no.
Nearly all Democrats who were present voted against the measure, though Rep. Jared Golden of Maine voted in favor.
The funding plan proposes $30 million in additional member security over a more than seven-week stretch — giving each member of Congress around $7,500 each week to spend on security — more than double their own congressional salary. The package also includes $58 million to meet the Trump administration’s request for supplemental funding for the executive and judicial branches.
That funding supplants a pilot funding program that lawmakers had utilized for member security in the wake of the shooting targeting state lawmakers in Minnesota over the summer.
The funding bill now heads to the Senate where its fate is uncertain as Democratic support is necessary for passage — a challenge given that it requires at least seven Democratic votes to reach 60 votes for passage.
Speaker Mike Johnson said that “the ball is in Chuck Schumer’s court” to avoid a government shutdown.
“I hope he does the right thing. I hope he does not choose to shut the government down and inflict pain unnecessarily on the American people,” Johnson told reporters Friday following the House vote.
Senate and House Democrats had unveiled a counter funding proposal that would only extend government funding until Oct. 31 and include health care-related proposals like rolling back Medicaid cuts in Trump’s megabill that passed earlier this year. This plan is a non-starter with Republicans who control majorities in both chambers.
Johnson said Friday that the Democratic counter proposal is “full of poison pills” and “partisan demands.”
Asked if he’s open to meeting with Schumer or Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries before the shutdown deadline, Johnson said, “I am always open to meeting with anybody to get our work done here. But there wasn’t really much to discuss with Chuck Schumer, because he decided and announced a while back that he was not going to go along for a clean short term.”
Ahead of the vote, Democrats signaled they would vote to shut down the government if Republicans didn’t cave to Democratic demands to restore cuts to Medicaid and extend Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.
Johnson slammed Democrats for the move.
“It’s just very unfortunate the Democrats are trying to play partisan games when we’re in good faith trying to fund the government,” Johnson told reporters as he arrived at the Capitol on Thursday.
For his part, Trump urged House Republicans to support the “clean” funding bill Thursday afternoon.
“Every House Republican should UNIFY, and VOTE YES!” Trump posted to his social media platform. He also repeated his claim that Schumer and Democratic lawmakers want a government shutdown.
Earlier this week, Jeffries spoke out against the GOP’s plan.
“We will not support a partisan spending bill that Republicans are trying to jam down the throats of the American people that continues to gut health care,” Jeffries told reporters. “No one who is following what Republicans have done to rip away health care of the American people can reasonably suggest that responsible legislators should do anything other than push back aggressively to protect the health care of the American people.”
Alex Acosta speaks during a press conference July 10, 2019 at the Labor Department in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Alexander Acosta, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida who negotiated a plea deal in 2008 with Jeffrey Epstein, arrived on Capitol Hill Friday morning to testify before the House Oversight Committee behind closed doors.
Acosta, who served as the Labor Secretary during the first Trump administration, did not respond to several shouted questions as he walked into the committee room.
Acosta resigned his position at the Labor Department after more than two years in the job amid controversy over his role in the 2008 plea deal with Epstein. At the time, he defended his decision, saying his goal “was straightforward” and included putting Epstein behind bars.
With continued interest in the Epstein matter on Capitol Hill, Acosta now finds himself testifying at a closed-door deposition.
“We want to know what went on during the prosecution, when many believe that Epstein was awarded a sweetheart plea deal. So, we’re going to ask a lot of questions about this. This is going to be a pretty hard-hitting deposition,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said ahead of Acosta’s interview Friday.
Comer said the committee will have “a lot of questions” for Acosta.
“So according to the victims and the survivors of Epstein, there was a lot of warning about the crimes that Epstein and [Ghislaine] Maxwell were committing. But yet, it appears the government let the victims down, and they didn’t, they didn’t prosecute. So, Acosta was a major player in that,” Comer claimed.
Comer said the committee’s Epstein investigation is “very serious” and “fast moving.”
“The Trump administration is fully cooperating with us in this investigation. We’re going to continue to get more documents in from the estate unredacted, and we will be able to answer some more questions,” Comer added.
Earlier this month the committee released tens of thousands of records related to Epstein, provided by the Department of Justice in response to a committee subpoena. A review of the documents released by the committee indicates they largely consist of public court filings and transcripts from Maxwell’s trial, previously released flight logs from Epstein’s plane, already public Bureau of Prisons communications the night of Epstein’s death and various other public court papers from Epstein’s criminal case in Florida.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on September 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The House passed a short-term government funding bill on Friday ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to avert a shutdown.
The final tally was 217-212. Ultimately, all but two Republicans supported the President Donald Trump-backed spending bill. Reps. Thomas Massie and Victoria Spartz voted no.
Nearly all Democrats who were present voted against the measure though Rep. Jared Golden of Maine voted in favor.
The funding bill now heads to the Senate where its fate is uncertain as Democratic support is necessary for passage.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
