HOT TOPICS | Charlie Kirk Dead: What We Know & What Happens Next - September 11, 2025

Tonight, we’re diving into all the updates on what we know about the alleged shooter of Charlie Kirk. Trump and MAGA wasted no time painting this as the work of “violent leftist extremists,” but new information suggests the picture may be far more complicated, and not aligned with their narrative. Details are still emerging, but what we do know already raises big questions. Joining Don is comedian, actor, and radio host D.L. Hughley to break it all down. Then, an all-star panel takes the conversation further with author & commentator Wajahat Ali, author Tim Wise, Texas State Rep. Jolanda Jones, host of the Higher Learning podcast Van Lathan, and tech journalist Taylor Lorenz. It’s a can’t-miss discussion about facts, spin, and the dangerous politics of the moment. This episode is brought to you by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON and use LEMON at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. This episode is brought to you by Wild Alaskan. Not all fish are the same! Get seafood you can trust. Go to https://wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. This episode is sponsored by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/lemon and use code LEMON at checkout to get our exclusive discount of UP TO 40% off. This episode is sponsored by MSI Choices. Go to https://msiunitedstates.org or text “lemon” to five eleven five eleven. Text “lemon” to 511511 and see all the Wonderful services they provide. Text Fees May Apply. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://shopify.com/lemon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning, we’re unpacking Trump’s wild interview on Fox & Friends. He announced that a suspect is in custody for the Charlie Kirk shooting, but wasted no time spinning it into his favorite narrative: that “leftist extremists” are the real danger. (Right-wing extremists, apparently, get a free pass.) And because no Trump appearance is complete without a dose of authoritarian theater, he also floated sending the National Guard into Memphis. What does this all mean for the country, and how much further will he go to rewrite reality? Let’s break it down. This episode is brought to you by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON and use LEMON at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. This episode is brought to you by Wild Alaskan. Not all fish are the same! Get seafood you can trust. Go to https://wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. This episode is sponsored by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/lemon and use code LEMON at checkout to get our exclusive discount of UP TO 40% off. This episode is sponsored by MSI Choices. Go to https://msiunitedstates.org or text “lemon” to five eleven five eleven. Text “lemon” to 511511 and see all the Wonderful services they provide. Text Fees May Apply. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://shopify.com/lemon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The killing of Charlie Kirk has brought us to an incredibly dangerous political moment. Instead of waiting for facts, many on the right are rushing to blame the left,some even going so far as to call this a “war.” Little is known about the shooter, their motives, or affiliations, but what we do know is clear: escalating rhetoric and fueling division will only make this crisis worse. Tonight, we’ll break down what’s happening, why tensions are rising, and why it’s more urgent than ever to step back from the brink. We're joined by Comedian, Actor, and Radio Host DL Hughley, along with an all star panel: friends of the show Jennifer Welch, Jolly, and Michael Fanone, political commentator  @thedavidpakmanshow , Sam Rosenholtz (a.k.a. Good Trouble on social media), and journalist and progressive pundit Walter Masterson. This episode is sponsored by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/lemon and use code LEMON at checkout to get our exclusive discount of UP TO 40% off. This episode is sponsored by MSI Choices. Go to https://msiunitedstates.org or text “lemon” to five eleven five eleven. Text “lemon” to 511511 and see all the Wonderful services they provide. Text Fees May Apply. This episode is brought to you by Wild Alaskan. Not all fish are the same! Get seafood you can trust. Go to https://wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://shopify.com/lemon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning, we’re covering the horrific breaking news: Charlie Kirk is dead, killed in an act of political violence that should never happen in America. But instead of calls for unity or calm, Trump and MAGA allies are already escalating, some even openly calling for violence against liberals and framing this moment as a “war.” Meanwhile, the shooter has not been caught, and we still have no clear understanding of their motives or political affiliation. Now is the time to de-escalate and bring tensions down, but MAGA seems determined to stoke the fire. What comes next for our country? This episode is sponsored by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/lemon and use code LEMON at checkout to get our exclusive discount of UP TO 40% off. This episode is sponsored by MSI Choices. Go to https://msiunitedstates.org or text “lemon” to five eleven five eleven. Text “lemon” to 511511 and see all the Wonderful services they provide. Text Fees May Apply. This episode is brought to you by Wild Alaskan. Not all fish are the same! Get seafood you can trust. Go to https://wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://shopify.com/lemon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight, we’re covering breaking news out of Utah, where political activist, conservative influencer, and co-founder of Turning Point USA was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. Political violence is never acceptable. We’ll discuss what happened, what we know so far, and what this moment means for our country as tensions continue to rise. This episode is brought to you by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON and use LEMON at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://shopify.com/lemon This episode is sponsored by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/lemon and use code LEMON at checkout to get our exclusive discount of UP TO 40% off. This episode is brought to you by Wild Alaskan. Not all fish are the same! Get seafood you can trust. Go to https://wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. This episode is sponsored by MSI Choices. Go to https://msiunitedstates.org or text “lemon” to five eleven five eleven. Text “lemon” to 511511 and see all the Wonderful services they provide. Text Fees May Apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning we’re talking about something that’s becoming a theme: people really don’t like Donald Trump. Fresh off being booed at the U.S. Open, he just got booed again, this time at a cabinet member’s dinner. We’ll be joined by one of the protesters who let him have it to break down what went down in the room. With his approval ratings sliding and public backlash growing louder, what does this mean for Trump’s policies? And more importantly, can Democrats and voters keep up the momentum heading into the midterms? Let’s dig in. This episode is brought to you by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON and use LEMON at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://shopify.com/lemon This episode is sponsored by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/lemon and use code LEMON at checkout to get our exclusive discount of UP TO 40% off. This episode is brought to you by Wild Alaskan. Not all fish are the same! Get seafood you can trust. Go to https://wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. This episode is sponsored by MSI Choices. Go to https://msiunitedstates.org or text “lemon” to five eleven five eleven. Text “lemon” to 511511 and see all the Wonderful services they provide. Text Fees May Apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight, we’re continuing our deep dive into the bombshell release of the Epstein Birthday Book, and yes, the infamous birthday letter Donald Trump wrote to Jeffrey Epstein. First they said it didn’t exist. Now that the receipts are out, they’re trying a new line: it wasn’t really from Trump. Really? So when can we expect more from the Epstein files? And will MAGA ever admit that Trump may have been involved, or are they sticking with denial ‘til the bitter end? Joining us to break it all down is Rep. Dave Min from California. This episode is brought to you by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON and use LEMON at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. This episode is brought to you by Wild Alaskan. Not all fish are the same! Get seafood you can trust. Go to https://wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. This episode is sponsored by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/lemon and use code LEMON at checkout to get our exclusive discount of UP TO 40% off. This episode is sponsored by MSI Choices. Go to https://msiunitedstates.org or text “lemon” to five eleven five eleven. Text “lemon” to 511511 and see all the Wonderful services they provide. Text Fees May Apply. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://shopify.com/lemon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While on the scene in Washington, D.C., Don met up with Rep. Kelly Morrison for a candid conversation about the state of the nation. They discussed how lawmakers are working to meet this critical moment, the challenges facing democracy, and why it’s so important to stand with and support the survivors of Epstein’s abuse. It’s an honest discussion about accountability, leadership, and putting people, not politics, first. This episode is sponsored by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Don’t let your rights be rewritten. Go to https://FFRS.US/school or text “DON” to 511511 This episode is brought to you by Lean. Doctors created a healthier way to lose weight by capturing the power of natural ingredients -- like CARALLUMA. Let's get you started with 20% off. Use code LEMON20 at https://TAKELEAN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning we’re diving into the bombshell release of the Epstein Birthday Book by the House Oversight Committee. Remember that letter Trump supposedly wrote to Epstein...the one he swore didn’t exist? Well, guess what: it’s here. The receipts have arrived. So what does this mean for Trump now that denial is no longer an option? And the bigger question, will the rest of the files finally see the light of day, or will they keep hiding the truth? Let’s break it all down. This episode is brought to you by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON and use LEMON at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. This episode is brought to you by Wild Alaskan. Not all fish are the same! Get seafood you can trust. Go to https://wildalaskan.com/LEMON for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood. This episode is sponsored by Beam. Visit https://shopbeam.com/lemon and use code LEMON at checkout to get our exclusive discount of UP TO 40% off. This episode is sponsored by MSI Choices. Go to https://msiunitedstates.org or text “lemon” to five eleven five eleven. Text “lemon” to 511511 and see all the Wonderful services they provide. Text Fees May Apply. This episode is sponsored by Shopify. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://shopify.com/lemon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While on the scene in Washington, D.C., Don sat down for a drink with Rep. Sam Liccardo to talk through the biggest issues plaguing Congress right now. From the fight to release the Epstein files, to Donald Trump’s exploitation of the American people to pad his own pockets, nothing was off the table. It’s a candid conversation about corruption, accountability, and what it will take to fix a broken system. This episode is sponsored by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Don’t let your rights be rewritten. Go to https://FFRS.US/school or text “DON” to 511511 This episode is brought to you by Lean. Doctors created a healthier way to lose weight by capturing the power of natural ingredients -- like CARALLUMA. Let's get you started with 20% off. Use code LEMON20 at https://TAKELEAN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices