KIRK DIED BECAUSE OF TRUMP'S RHETORIC; KIMMEL CANCELLED AS DISNEY FOLDS - 9.18.25

Sep 18, 2025

The discussion delves into the troubling consequences of Trump's rhetoric, tying it to recent acts of violence and the culture of political intimidation. It highlights the tragic case of Charlie Kirk, emphasizing the dangers created by toxic political discourse. The podcast also examines the fallout from Jimmy Kimmel's suspension and the broader economic challenges facing late-night television amid corporate pressures. Additionally, there's a tribute to Robert Redford's impactful career, blending nostalgia with personal anecdotes.

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INSIGHT

Trump's Rhetoric As Central Threat

Keith Olbermann argues Donald Trump's rhetoric and actions have mainstreamed political violence and normalized threats.
He concludes Trump is the primary creator of the dangerous political environment that led to Charlie Kirk's death.

INSIGHT

Cataloging Troubling Presidential Statements

Olbermann lists numerous Trump statements and acts to illustrate how his language normalized violence and targeted opponents.
The catalog reinforces the claim that Trump's words institutionalized vengeance and political persecution.

INSIGHT

Charlie Kirk Shooting Was Personal

Olbermann describes ironies in the Charlie Kirk case showing the shooting was personal rather than purely political.
He emphasizes the suspect's relationship and messages suggest motive tied to protecting a loved one from Kirk's rhetoric.

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SEASON 4 EPISODE 15: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN

A-Block (2:30) SPECIAL COMMENT: Charlie Kirk died because he lived amid the violent madness of Donald Trump's America.

Now that we can say with some certainty that if Tyler Robinson indeed shot Charlie Kirk, he shot him for personal reasons, that he saw Kirk as a direct threat to someone he loved, that Robinson was NOT a stochastic proxy murderer from Antifa or the Groypers or the Right Wingers who had so recently called Kirk a fraud like Laura Loomer, it is also clear that there is truly only ONE person whose WORDS created, amplified, mainstreamed, and manufactured the nightmarish environment that led to Charlie Kirk’s indefensible death.

The leading threat in this country in this moment, to the safety and the lives of Conservatives and Republicans and MAGA commentators and politicians and citizens - the leading threat to ALL of us - is Trump.

The America in which Charlie Kirk was murdered… the America in which Melissa and Mark Hortman were murdered… the America in which Paul Pelosi was beaten… the America in which Donald Trump was shot is DONALD TRUMP’s America.

THIS is Donald Trump’s America and ALL THOSE who are endangered by it, and all those who fall dead at its feet, are the victims of one man and one man alone: Donald Trump. The institutionalization of vengeance is Trump. The introduction of political persecution is Trump. The inspiration for the only attempted VIOLENT OVERTHROW AND COUP against the government of the United States is Trump. The weaponization of the mob and the government against individuals he names and hopes somebody else hurts is Trump.

The TERROR is Trump.

B-Block (29:20) BREAKING NEWS: And the transformation of flawed democracy into lethal autocracy… is Donald Trump. After the FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr took a page from the Goebbels playbook in 1930's Germany and threatened to revoke ABC's ownership of local stations because Jimmy Kimmel dared to tell the truth about Charlie Kirk's hate speech and the MAGA exploitation of his death, Bob Iger - the Disney chairman desperate to hold on to his job and his money and his only purpose in a failed life - folded to the fascists. Kimmel is off the air, indefinitely, probably for good, and has no legal recourse to be reinstated. All he can get is the money.

C-Block (49:00) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: Robert Redford, RIP. I interviewed him once and he and it were great. And then the booking producer who was trying to get promoted to segment producer got into his ear and told him "Wrap!"

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