Alleged Kirk Assassin Charged With Seven Counts, Patel vs. Dems in Combative Hearing： AM Update 9⧸17
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Summary
Tyler Robinson formally charged with 7 counts, including aggravated murder, for the assassination of Charlie Kirk. A disgusting twist: the elderly man arrested in the moment following Charlie s murder is now under investigation for child sex abuse. You are a disgrace to this institution and an utter coward, you are a political buffoon at best. And FBI Director C.J. Patel takes on Democrats in a fiery hearing on the Hill. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.
Transcript
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Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Wednesday, September 17th, 2025, and this is
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your AM Update. The defendant is believed to have targeted Charlie Kirk based on Charlie Kirk's
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political expression. Tyler Robinson formally charged with seven counts, including aggravated
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murder for the assassination of Charlie Kirk. A disgusting twist, the elderly man arrested in
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the moment following Charlie's murder, now under investigation for child sex abuse material.
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You are a disgrace to this institution and an utter coward. You are a political buffoon at best.
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And FBI Director Cash Patel takes on Democrats in a fiery hearing on the Hill. All that and more
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coming up in just a moment on your AM Update. As President Trump is settling into his new
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administration, one of the top Democrats in Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda
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Tyler Robinson formally charged yesterday with the murder of Charlie Kirk, speaking only once in the
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short meeting, stating his name to presiding district judge Tony Graff.
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The 22-year-old suspect appearing virtually via video, arms bare, wearing what appears to be
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an anti-suicide smock commonly worn by high-risk inmates. The defendant did not enter a plea,
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Judge Graff approving a court-appointed lawyer for Robinson, saying Robinson was indigent.
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Prior to the hearing, Utah County DA Jeffrey Gray announcing seven charges against Robinson,
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one count of aggravated murder for knowingly causing the death of Kirk, under circumstances
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that created great risk to others. This is a capital offense, and prosecutors do intend to seek the
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death penalty. At the time of his death, Charlie was surrounded by about 2,000 onlookers, several staff
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and security members sitting within feet of him. Count two, felony discharge of a firearm, causing serious
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bodily injury. At this point, D.A. Gray confirming this was a political assassination.
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The state is further alleging aggravating factors on counts one and two because the defendant is
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believed to have targeted Charlie Kirk based on Charlie Kirk's political expression and did so
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knowing that children were present and would witness the homicide.
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More on Robinson's motivations in just a minute.
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Counts three and four, obstruction of justice, second-degree felonies, one charge relating to
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dishing the rifle, another for getting rid of the outfit he allegedly wore during the shooting.
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Counts five and six, witness tampering, third-degree felonies, in reference to a conversation Robinson had
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with his roommate and romantic partner after the shooting. Counts seven, commission of a violent
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offense in the presence of a child, a class A misdemeanor, the most serious level misdemeanor
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offense. D.A. Gray revealing more information about Robinson's actions in the hours after the shooting
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prior to turning himself over to police. Robinson's roommate, a transgender male pretending to be a
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female, turning over messages to authorities. D.A. Gray yesterday reading a text exchange,
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between Robinson and his roommate, confirmed by Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino on The Megan
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Kelly Show, to be named Lance Twiggs. On September 10, 2025, the roommate received a text message from
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Robinson which said, drop what you're doing, look under my keyboard. The roommate looked under the
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keyboard and found a note that stated, quote, I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm
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going to take it. Police found a photograph of this note. The following text exchange then took place.
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After reading the note, the roommate responded, what? You're joking, right? Robinson, I am still okay,
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my love, but am stuck in Orem for a little while longer yet. Shouldn't be long until I can come home,
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but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest, I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age.
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I am sorry to involve you. Roommate, you weren't the one who did it, right? Robinson, I am, I am, I'm sorry.
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Twiggs asking, why? Robinson replying, quote, I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out.
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The accused going on to say he had been planning the attack for just over a week. Later in the
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conversation, Robinson details plans to retrieve the rifle, which apparently once belonged to his
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grandfather and was gifted to Robinson, telling Twiggs a patrol car was still parked near the wooded
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area where the gun was ditched. D.A. Gray reading more of the conversation. Remember how he was engraving
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bullets? The effing messages are mostly a big meme. If I see Notice Bulge, UWU on Fox News,
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I might have a stroke, all right. I'm going to have to leave it. That really effing sucks. Judging from
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today, I'd say grandpa's gun does just fine. Robinson then messaging his roommate about incoming
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questions from his parents and instructing his roommate to help cover Robinson's tracks.
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Robinson again, delete this exchange. Again, Robinson, my dad wants photos of the rifle. He
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says grandpa wants to know who has what. The feds released a photo of the rifle and it is very unique.
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He's calling me, RN, not answering. Robinson, since Trump got into office, my dad has been pretty
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diehard MAGA. Robinson, I'm going to turn myself in willingly. One of my neighbors here is a deputy
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for the sheriff. Again, you are all I worry about, love. That came from Robinson. Roommate,
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I'm much more worried about you. Robinson, don't talk to the media, please. Don't take any interviews
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or make any comments. If any police ask you questions, ask for a lawyer and stay silent.
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DA Gray elaborating more on the shooter's evolving political views over the last few years. According
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to his mother, the defendant started leaning more toward the left, telling the DA he had become more
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pro-gay and trans rights oriented. Robinson's family telling authorities he had previously accused
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Charlie of spreading hate, saying Utah Valley University was a stupid venue for an event.
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According to DA Gray, Robinson's parents confronting their son about his possible role in the shooting
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after seeing the photos released by the FBI. His parents reporting to law enforcement that
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Robinson said he did it because there is too much evil in the world and Charlie Kirk spreads too much
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hate. Robinson's next hearing, also virtual, set for 10 a.m. local time on September 29th,
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he will remain in custody without bail. The arrest of the first man taken into custody
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immediately following Charlie Kirk's assassination taking a disturbing twist,
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leading to a child sexual abuse material investigation. That person, now identified as
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71-year-old George Zinn, captured on video just moments after the shooting being placed under arrest
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by Utah Valley University Police. According to a Utah County Sheriff's Office press release shared
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online by investigative journalist Andy Ngo, quote, while people were leaving the scene,
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Zinn was seen yelling that he had shot Charlie Kirk. At the UVU Police Department, Zinn refused to speak
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to investigators. He was then transferred to a local hospital amid an unspecified medical episode.
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According to police documents obtained by Fox 13, Zinn told police that he, quote,
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wanted to be a martyr for the person who was shot. At the hospital, Zinn reportedly admitting to an FBI
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agent and a Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent he was not the shooter, but claimed he was in order
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to allow the actual suspect time to flee. Investigators asked to see his phone. Zinn agreed, telling the
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agents they might find child sexual abuse images on his phone. Officials then turning the matter over
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to the Utah County Special Victims Unit. Zinn was released from the hospital on Monday, law enforcement
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then booking him in the Utah County Jail on obstruction charges. That same day, the SVU obtaining a search
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warrant for Zinn's phone, discovering more than 20 images of children ranging from 5 to 12 years old.
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According to the Sheriff's Department, there were several graphic text messaging threads where Zinn
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shared the images with others. He remains in the Utah County Jail on felony obstruction charges
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and four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Investigators do not believe Zinn coordinated with
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the shooter. Zinn is well known in the Utah political scene. Local outlet KSL reporting Zinn is a regular
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with law enforcement, arrested and charged many times over 30 years. In 2013, authorities charging Zinn with a
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felony for making a threat of terrorism, asking Salt Lake City Marathon organizers in an email, quote,
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I was wondering if you needed anybody to help place bombs near the finish line on Saturday.
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KSL reporting Zinn later pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge.
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Coming up, Capitol Hill erupts as FBI Director Cash Patel goes toe-to-toe with Democrats in a contentious
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FBI Director Cash Patel appearing before the Senate Judiciary hearing yesterday covering a wide range
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of issues. Patel taking heat from both sides of the aisle in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk
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assassination. In the early evening on September 10th, Patel posting on X that the subject was in
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custody. Then about 90 minutes later, posting that that person had been released and the suspect was
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still on the loose. Yesterday, however, Republican senators rallying around the director while Democrats
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went on the attack. A sampling of that here from Vermont Senator Peter Welsh and Illinois Senator Dick
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You made an announcement that the suspect was in custody. We got our man. It turned out that was
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not true. And as if we have our man, that would suggest to the public that everybody can rest and
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relax and not then continue to provide information to the local law enforcement and to you. So that was
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Mr. Patel was so anxious to take credit for finding Mr. Kirk's assassin that he violated one of the basics
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of effective law enforcement. At critical stages of an investigation, shut up and let the professionals
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Patel acknowledging his wording at the time could have been more precise. However, stating he does
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not believe updating the public in real time was a mistake. California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff
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questioning the director about Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer to a minimum security prison
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following her interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Senator Schiff asking Director Patel
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who was in charge of that decision. Mr. Patel responding it came from the Bureau of Prisons
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You want the American people to believe that? Do you think they're stupid?
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No. I think the American people believe the truth that I'm not in the weeds on the everyday
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movements of inmates. What I am doing is protecting this country, providing historic reform, and
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combating the weaponization of intelligence by the likes of you. And we have countlessly
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proven you to be a liar in Russiagate in January 6th. You are the biggest fraud to ever sit in
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the United States Senate. You are a disgrace to this institution and an utter coward.
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I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised that you continue to lie from your perch and put on a show
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so you can go raise money for your charade. You are a political buffoon at best.
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In 2023, then Congressman Schiff was removed from the Intelligence Committee and formally censured by
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the House for misleading the public repeatedly by promoting now totally debunked claims that President
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Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election. Schiff at the time said
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he would wear that censure as a badge of honor. Elsewhere in the hearing, Director Patel questioned
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about changes to the physical fitness exam all new FBI recruits are required to pass.
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Beginning in November 2025, pull-ups will be a mandatory part of the evaluation for all FBI candidates.
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Females will be required to complete at least one single pull-up. At a minimum,
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male candidates must complete two to three. Democrat from Hawaii, Senator Mazie Hirono questioning the
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fairness of this new standard. You are now requiring applicants to be able to do a certain kind of
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pull-ups, which a lot of women cannot because of physiological differences. Are you requiring
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these kinds of pull-ups? We are requiring a physical program at BFTC at Quantico because FBI agents
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carrying guns in the field have to chase down bad guys and do really hard work. The reason I ask is
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that there are concerns about whether or not being able to do these kinds of harsh pull-ups is really
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required of FBI agents. Doing one pull-up is not harsh. Director Patel then noting certain medical
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exemptions exist for qualifying candidates. Later, Republican Senator from Alabama, Katie Britt,
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highlighting the irony in her Democrat colleague's line of questioning. Before I begin, I want to thank
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Senator Hirono for what she said, acknowledging that there are physical differences between men and
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women. Talking about that women wouldn't be able to do as many pull-ups, and I think that she was
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making a case here that there should be different standards. There's a thing called Title IX, and this
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is why we continue to say we should have biological men and men's sports and biological women and women's
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sports. And so I look forward to utilizing that to talk to all of my colleagues on the other side of
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the aisle. Maybe they will stand with us in helping us protect women's sports. I think she made a great
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argument there for it. And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for
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The Megan Kelly Show, live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash