| Saturday, September 13, 2025 |
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Hey, we're here with a special Saturday edition to share the latest on the fallout from Charlie Kirk's murder, plus some excellent weekend reads... |
Charlie Kirk's widow Erika and many of his fans have predicted that Wednesday's assassination will make his voice even more powerful posthumously. Social media statistics indicate that they're right. Kirk's accounts across the internet have gained millions of followers in the three days since his death, according to data I compiled today. Videos of Kirk's political arguments have also seen a surge in viewership, with many clips being traded back and forth by fans. Kirk's social media footprint was a key part of Turning Point USA's advocacy-and-media operation, of course, so the uptick in interest relates directly to Erika's vow to keep the organization growing. Kirk's main Instagram account has added 3.5 million followers since the assassination; his podcast's TikTok account has gained more than 1.5 million followers; and his main Facebook page has added more than 2.3 million followers. On YouTube, Kirk's primary channel now has 4.5 million subscribers, up from 3.8 million before he was killed. Here's my full story for CNN.com about the data. I spent a while this morning watching the YouTube videos and reading the new comments that have piled up by the tens of thousands since the shooting at Utah Valley University. This was the takeaway: The vast majority of the most-liked comments about Kirk's death are mournful — not full of rage or fomenting calls for revenge, like some far-right influencers have expressed in other forums, or bashing Kirk, like some on the left have. One more note: Kirk's website has also introduced a new product to its online store, a T-shirt that says "I AM CHARLIE KIRK." Those four words have become a rallying cry among Kirk fans on social media platforms since his death. |
"Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's message to 'disagree better' faces its biggest test" now, CNN's Eric Bradner and Jeff Zeleny wrote this morning. It's a test the governor is well-prepared for. Among his areas of leadership in the wake of the attack: A much-needed conversation about the incentive structures of social media. "Social media is a cancer on our society right now," Cox said in his address yesterday. He also spoke specifically about the horrific videos of Kirk's murder, pointing out that "we are not wired as human beings biologically" to process this stuff. Cox talked more about this on "Anderson Cooper 360" last night. "People are angry and rightfully so," he said... "My question is, what do we do with that?" >> "Watching the online discourse around Kirk's murder this week only underscored the damage done by algorithmically incentivized ghoulishness," The Atlantic's McKay Coppins wrote after talking with Cox... |
The misinfo problem is universal |
Some "liberals" are convinced that the suspect is a far-right Trumper and some "conservatives" are convinced he is a far-left trans antifa adherent. Doctored images and false posts to back up these assertions are swirling all over social media, as CNN's Daniel Dale wrote here. A CBS News analysis found that AI fueled some of the bogus claims.
Much of this reaction is as predictable as it is regrettable. But the cacophony of misinformation does need to be called out. Many liberals like to believe their "side" is immune to the fake news foolishness, when in fact there is no immunity. Witness Democratic Rep. Dave Min saying on X last night that "the Charlie Kirk assassin has been identified as MAGA." What does that even mean? Faulty reporting from news outlets is contributing to the confusion. The Guardian "ran and later corrected a piece on Tyler Robinson featuring a source that said they knew Robinson's political beliefs," The Daily Beast noted here. And the WSJ "carelessly spread anti-trans misinformation," The Verge wrote here. The Advocate says the WSJ "owes trans people an apology." Here is the latest from CNN's team about what we do know about the suspect... |
Suspect steeped in gaming subcultures |
"The little we do know about him is he was very into video games," CNN's Elle Reeve told Abby Phillip last night. "Many of these shell casing engravings are references to video games." The suspect had an account on Discord, but the platform says it has found "no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord." >> The critical thing to understand, Reeve said, is that the suspect was steeped in online communities that are "wrapped up in ironic detachment" — communicating through memes that are inscrutable to outsiders and often devoid of any coherent ideology.
>> More context: The suspect's "alleged use of random internet brainrot is notable," online culture experts Ryan Broderick and Adam Bumas write. |
'Growing concerns' over FBI handling |
President Trump defended and praised FBI director Kash Patel in a call with Fox's Brooke Singman today. Elsewhere, however, there are "growing concerns about Patel's FBI leadership," as CNN's team reports here. "It's not just amateur hour at the FBI, but influencer hour," Quinta Jurecic writes for The Atlantic. On the right, there is agitation for more info, ASAP, about the suspect. "We are not getting enough answers from the government and law-enforcement," Breitbart editor in chief Alex Marlow says. "We need to know how this guy was radicalized, who he was working with, who in the audience was coordinating with him, etc." |
>> Michael Smerconish asked Kirk's exec producer, Andrew Kolvet, "If it had happened to somebody else and Charlie were still among us, what do you think he'd be saying right now?" Kolvet said, "He would be condemning the violence and saying that we need to be using words, not violence, not guns." (CNN) >> "Someone in the newsroom said that this shattering event feels like the aftermath of another Charlie: Charlie Hebdo," Bari Weiss remarked, sharing this editorial by The Free Press titled "Je Suis Charlie." (The FP) >> Jamelle Bouie pushed back on what he calls Kirk "hagiography" in this Times newsletter titled "Charlie Kirk Didn't Shy Away From Who He Was. We Shouldn't Either." (NYT) >> Matthew Dowd said the comments that led to his MSNBC dismissal were "misconstrued," saying that "the only thing known at the time was shots were fired and there was no reporting yet that Kirk was the target or had been shot at." (Substack) >> "The Bluesky-ization of the American left:" Noah Smith said he worries "that progressives have removed themselves from the national discussion, and exiled themselves to little islands where they all just try to cancel each other." (Noahpinion) >> Progressive podcaster Hasan Piker was set to debate Kirk in a few weeks. In an NYT guest essay, Piker shared "what I would have said." (NYT) |
Happy Emmys weekend to all who celebrate. Deadline's Dominic Patten reports that security has been "ramped up" in the aftermath of the assassination. First-time Emmys host Nate Bargatze talked with CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister about his plans for Sunday evening. He "maintained that nothing is off limits on Sunday night, save for overly cruel jokes." The show starts at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. CNN's Dan Heching previews some of the subplots here... |
>> This week's resolution of Rupert Murdoch's family feud was a moment of relief for Rupert — but money can't heal all the wounds. I talked with VF's Natalie Korach for her in-depth piece about the family turmoil. (VF) >> Mark Sweney and Michael Savage ask: "Will the heir to Murdoch's empire keep newspapers at its heart?" (The Guardian) >> Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling take a microscope to David Ellison's spending spree. (NYT) >> Fiona Sinclair Scott writes: "He quit a Vogue job nobody quits. Can Edward Enninful build something bigger?" (CNN) >> "Journalism's DEI efforts are in decline," Hanaa' Tameez reports. (NiemanLab) >> Students are turning to iPods and cassette players amid phone bans at schools, Callie Holtermann writes. (NYT) |
Paramount opposes Israeli film boycott |
David Ellison's Paramount said yesterday that it condemns "a pledge signed earlier this week by more than 4,000 actors, entertainers and producers, including some Hollywood stars, to not work with Israeli film institutions that they see as being complicit in the abuse of Palestinians by Israel," Reuters reports. "Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace," the company said in a statement... |
Settlement at The Atlantic |
The Atlantic "quietly agreed to pay more than $1 million early this summer to settle a lawsuit by the writer Ruth Shalit Barrett, who had accused the magazine of defamation after it took the rare step of retracting an article she had written and replacing it with an editor's note," Katie Robertson reports. The note has been revised, and The Atlantic says "the story remains retracted, and that will not change, nor will the editor's note be updated further." |
>> RFE/RL reporter Ihar Losik has been freed "after spending more than five years in brutal Belarusian detention on trumped-up charges." (RFE/RL) >> Leaders from CNN, Fox News, CBS, the NYT, and other outlets attended a Vatican summit earlier this week, Brian Steinberg reports. (Variety) >> The FTC is investigating whether Amazon and Google "misled advertisers that place ads on their websites." (Bloomberg) >> Mastodon "is rolling out a somewhat controversial feature by adding quote posts," Sarah Perez reports, noting that the feature "has contributed to a culture of 'dunking' on X." (TechCrunch) |
A record opening weekend for anime |
"Anime is back on top of the box office, with 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle' earning $33 million across Friday and preview screenings from 3,315 locations," Variety's J. Kim Murphy reports. "That's the biggest opening day domestic gross ever for an anime film, crushing the previous $10.9 million high-mark set by 'Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero' in 2022..." |
Entertainment notes and quotes |
>> Taylor Swift will not be deposed in the Justin Baldoni/Blake Lively case. (CNN) >> Amid Nintendo's celebrations of the Super Mario game series' 40th anniversary, Illumination has announced the name for Mario's next movie, coming to theaters in April: "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie." (YouTube) >> Ego Nwodim is leaving "SNL" after seven seasons. (AP) >> "The Hunting Wives" has officially been renewed for a second season. (THR) >> Saving an excellent piece for last: CNN's team reports on "how Bad Bunny made Puerto Rico's economy boom during hurricane season." (CNN) |
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This weekend edition of Reliable Sources was edited by Andrew Kirell and produced with Liam Reilly. Email us your feedback and tips here. We'll be back at our usual time on Monday. |
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