The Hunt For Charlie Kirk's Assassin, Vance Escorts Kirk Home, 24 Years Since 9⧸11： AM Update 9⧸12
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Summary
Charlie Kirk, a 20-year-old Utah State University student, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head on Wednesday morning in a stairwell on the campus of the University of Utah. No one has been charged in connection with his death.
Transcript
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It's Friday, September 12th, 2025, and this is your AM Update.
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Well, I hear they're making big progress and we'll have to see what happens.
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More than a day later, Charlie Kirk's killer is still at large.
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Vice President J.D. Vance escorts Charlie's body home on Air Force Two.
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We best honor their memory and the memory of 9-11 by learning the correct lessons of that day
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and President Trump mark 24 years since the September 11th attacks.
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All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.
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Late last night, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel and other
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law enforcement partners, holding a press conference on the search for the killer of
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In fact, moments before the presser, Commissioner of the Department of Utah Public Safety,
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Bo Mason, telling NBC News they have no idea where the shooter may be.
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I know you can't say too much here, but is it your understanding that this individual
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We're exploring leads for individuals out of state and individuals that live close by.
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We literally have persons of interest, tips coming in on the tip line that are spanning
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Commissioner Mason at the presser sharing new still shots and security video footage of
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Officials releasing four new digitally enhanced photos of the man inside a university stairwell,
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a college-aged male with short-cropped dark hair wearing a dark baseball cap with a triangle
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He's wearing dark sunglasses along with a black backpack, and on his long-sleeved shirt
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has an image of an American flag and bald eagle.
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He has on dark jeans and gray Converse sneakers.
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The outline of an iPhone can be seen in his front jeans pocket.
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Officials also releasing a video of the man they believe is the shooter on the roof of
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a university building, at first in a prone position, then running across the rooftop,
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dropping down off the roof, whose edge he dangles from for a moment, then letting go and landing
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Officials have recovered both a handprint on that roof and a footprint on the grass.
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The still photos would suggest he left handprints in the stairwell, too.
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The man runs across the nearby grassy knoll and past the parking lot, crossing the street
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to a tree-covered area where officials say he ditched the gun, wrapped in a towel.
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TMZ releasing a different video of what looks like this same person of interest just before
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the shooting in a neighborhood near the university.
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At 11.49 a.m. on Wednesday, you see a young man dressed in dark colors hobbling down the street
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with a limp. Speculation is that this limp may have been caused by the long gun being concealed
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in the man's pant leg. Officials said on Thursday they believe the shooter arrived at the campus
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around 11.52 a.m., three minutes after the TMZ video. Charlie's event was supposed to begin
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at noon Mountain Time. Around 12.23 p.m., he was fatally shot in the neck.
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The gun used, a bolt-action rifle, is not a semi-automatic weapon like an AR-15.
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It's a popular hunting rifle, allowing just one shot at a time. The operator manually pulls
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back the bolt to eject the spent bullet cartridge, then pushes the bolt forward to load a new round.
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Yesterday, Rumble host Stephen Crowder, publishing an email from an ATF source, attaching a screenshot
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of alleged internal ATF messages. Those messages discuss the bullets in the rifle, writing,
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quote, the spent cartridge was still chambered, in addition to three unspent rounds at the top
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Fed magazine. All cartridges have engraved wording on them, expressing transgender and anti-fascist
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ideology. TMZ later reporting it had confirmed that ATF bulletin with its own federal law enforcement
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sources. The Wall Street Journal, too, confirming Crowder's reporting, though later adding, quote,
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some officials cautioned against reaching conclusions based on the internal report.
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The New York Times urging caution, writing that a senior law enforcement source claimed the cartridge
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messages, quote, had not been verified by ATF analysts, did not match other summaries of the
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evidence, and might turn out to have been misread or misinterpreted. CNN skipping all details about the
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alleged transgender motivation. Instead, alleging the markings reflect, quote, phrases related to
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cultural issues. As Charlie's supporters wait anxiously for investigators to bring his killer to
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justice, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offering the following. Charlie's someone I've gotten to know
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personally, and it's just heartbreaking to see. It's both stunning and outrageous at the same time.
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Obviously, I have confidence in our investigators are on the ground. The FBI is the best investigative
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unit in the world. I spoke to the governor numerous times yesterday in the midst of this,
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and they're also involved with their state police there. And so I think now we just need to let the
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investigators do their work. And we know two things for certain, and that is that a great young man
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is dead and a family has been shattered and that there's no place for this in America. We all know
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that. All the words are out there. But it's true, not just outrageous, it's frightening.
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Governor Cox says the state of Utah is prepared to seek the death penalty.
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For those people who are spending so much time on social media, I think Charlie said it best,
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that when things get bad, we should put our phones down and spend a little time with our families.
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There is a tremendous amount of disinformation. We are tracking our team, the state team,
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and I'm sure the federal team as well. What we're seeing is our adversaries want violence.
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Champ China, we have bots from Russia, China, all over the world that are trying to instill
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disinformation and encourage violence. I would encourage you to ignore those, to turn off those
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streams, and spend a little more time with our families. We desperately need some healing. We'll
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have more to say about that in the days and weeks to come. More than anything, we are going to catch
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this person. Last thing I will just say is we've been working with our attorneys, getting everything
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that we need, affidavits ready, so that we can pursue the death penalty in this case. And that
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will happen here in the state of Utah. Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance flying to
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Salt Lake City, Utah yesterday, escorting Charlie Kirk's body home to Arizona. CBS News reporting
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the vice president canceling plans to attend the 9-11 remembrance ceremony at the World Trade Center,
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instead meeting with Kirk's wife Erica, his family, and his close friends in Utah, bringing them home
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aboard Air Force Two. Usha Vance and Erica Kirk later seen exiting the aircraft, holding hands as they
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went down the stairs. The vice president serving in the role of pallbearer, carrying his friend from
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the Whitehurst to Air Force Two. Charlie was an influential advocate throughout Mr. Vance's
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political career, even playing a key role in his selection as vice president, the two forming a
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friendship early on in Mr. Vance's public life. The vice president writing a lengthy ex-post on
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Wednesday evening, reading in part, quote, Charlie died doing what he loved, discussing ideas. He would go
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into these hostile crowds and answer their questions. If it was a friendly crowd and a progressive asked
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a question to jeers from the audience, he'd encourage his fans to calm down and let everybody
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speak. Vance continuing, quote, he exemplified a foundational virtue of our republic, the willingness
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to speak openly and debate ideas. Now that Charlie is in heaven, I'll ask him to talk to the big man
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directly on behalf of his family, his friends, and the country he loved so dearly. You ran a good race,
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my friend. We've got it from here. Coming up, President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
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honor the victims of 9-11 and pay tribute to Charlie Kirk.
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You know those movies that tell the stories of real-life heroes with the courage to stand up
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in the face of indescribable evil and hatred to protect and save others? They're important,
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especially now when the world seems to need heroes more than ever. Bao, Artist at War,
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is a film about how art and love can save lives literally and spiritually. It's the remarkable true
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story of Joseph Bao, a gifted artist and master forger who risked his life to save others during
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the Holocaust. There, he not only found the strength to survive, but also an unexpected love
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with Rebecca, a woman whose courage matched his own. Their secret wedding, held inside a concentration
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camp, was later immortalized in the film Schindler's List. Bao, Artist at War, opens only in theaters for
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a limited run beginning September 26th. Go to baomovie.com, B-A-U-movie.com, to watch the trailer,
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read about Joseph's real-life journey, and find showtimes near you. Visit bao, B-A-U-movie.com,
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to watch the trailer and learn more. And you can also sign your organization up for group screenings.
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President Trump and Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, commemorating the September 11th attacks
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yesterday at the Pentagon. 24 years ago, the unimaginable attack that changed the course
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of American history. 2,977 people killed in the heinous act of terror. 2,751 perishing at the World
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Trade Center, including 343 New York City firefighters, 23 New York City police officers,
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and 37 Port Authority officers. Secretary Hegseth reflecting on the lessons of the war on terror,
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and honoring the brave men and women who answered the call.
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An entire generation of warriors stepped forward, willing to pay the ultimate price
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to exact retribution and secure our country. Forged in the crucibles of Afghanistan and Iraq,
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we stood watch in distant lands on dangerous missions, often in retrospect, nebulous missions,
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all to secure our people, and so we could live in peace. War is an enduring aspect of the human
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condition, a tool that, when wielded wisely, ruthlessly punishes enemies' intent on terrorizing
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or subjugating our nation. War must not become a mere tool for global social work, eager to risk
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American blood and treasure for utopian fever dreams. We should hit hard, wreak vengeance, and return home.
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We best honor their memory and the memory of 9-11 by learning the correct lessons of that day
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and the decades of courage that followed. President Trump at a memorial service at the
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Pentagon vowing that the sacrifice of those lost on September 11th and those who fought for our
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country in the decades since will never be in vain. In their memory, we make a solemn pledge and a
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noble promise we will honor always our great heroes, and you are our heroes. There's a group of people
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that don't want to talk about our heroes, but we will always talk about our heroes, and that's the way
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our country is, and that's the way the people feel. We will defend the nation they served, the values they
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upheld, and the freedom for which they died. We will support our troops, we will protect our families,
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and we will preserve the American way of life for every future generation. We will build taller,
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grow stronger, fight harder, and soar higher. And together we will go forward as one people with
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one heart, one faith, one flag, and one glorious destiny under Almighty God. May God bless the memories
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of those who died and the heroes who fought and the soldiers who still stand watch. May God
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bless the United States of America. Secretary Hegseth paying tribute to those who dedicated
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their lives to defending America's values, including Charlie Kirk. On this day, 24 years ago, we suffered.
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In the years since, we have endured. Our service and sacrifice have forged our character, and today
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we stand in hope for the future of our great nation. The young soldiers who take the oath give me hope.
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The young cops who wear the badge give me hope. The young firefighters who answer the call
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give me hope. The young agents who patrol our border give me hope. The life, example, and even death
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of Christ follower and American patriot, Charlie Kirk, give me hope. Sheer courage, no matter the arena.
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Charlie, we love you. We know that you have heard the Lord's words. Well done, good and faithful
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servant. And in an extraordinary tribute to his fallen friend, President Trump announcing that
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Charlie will be posthumously awarded the nation's highest civilian honor. Before we begin, let me express
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the horror and grief so many Americans at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk have felt. Charlie
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was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.
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Our prayers are with his wonderful wife, Eric, and his beautiful children. Fantastic people they are.
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We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie's voice and the courage he put into the hearts of
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countless people, especially young people, will live on. I'm pleased to announce that I will soon be
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awarding Charlie Kirk posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The date of the ceremony will be
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announced, and I can only guarantee you one thing, that we will have a very big crowd. Very, very big.
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After the somber ceremony, President Trump flying to New York to watch the Yankees take on the Detroit
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Tigers in the Bronx. Mr. Trump meeting with the Yankees in the locker room before the first pitch,
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then stepping into a packed stadium, greeted by USA chants echoing through the crowd.
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A fitting tribute to New York and America after a very tough week for the president
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And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for The Megan Kelly Show,
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live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash megankelly,
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