HOT TOPICS | Charlie Kirk Shooting Fallout EXPLODES! - September 17th, 2025
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
We start with something that is helpful for you.
What is the show’s opening sponsor message and why does Don recommend ZBiotics?
Support today for the show comes from ZBiotics. Now, I have to tell you about this stuff. It is a game changer. It's called Pre-Alcohol and Look. If you've been out with friends, you had a couple of drinks, and you woke up the next morning wondering what hit you, well, this one is for you. Here's how it works. It's called Z Biotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink. It is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by PhD scientists to break down the toxic byproduct in your gut that causes those rough mornings. It's not dehydration, it's not drinks, but it is that toxic buildup that does this. Pre-alcohol handles it before it becomes a problem. Now, I first tried it a night out with friends in New York, big dinner, lots of laughs.
Too many glasses of wine, et cetera, et cetera. The next morning, I had a show to tape, and I felt fantastic. So I felt clear-headed, ready to go. That's when I was sold on this. And you know football season is here. Tailgates, game nights, you name it. So take Z Biotics before drinking and feel great the next day. Go to zbiotics.com slash lemon and get 15% off of your first order with the code lemon. They even back it with a 100% money-back guarantee. That's zbiotics.com slash lemon for 15% off. Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Don Lemon Show. A little bit late, and I'll tell you why. I don't know if you can see this. If you look above my head, that is the Senate television. I am in the bowels of this in the bowels of the Senate here.
And so you see the Senate television on. We are here covering what's happening in Washington. They only have two weeks until the government shuts down. And so we are reporting on that. We are here. We're talking. We're going to continue to interview folks as well, congressmen and senators, lawmakers in your capital, and also speaking to the average American about what is happening, what is happening right now. It is some unfortunate fallout from the unfortunate, untimely death of Charlie Kirk.
Oh, no, I'm going to bring you in, Tara, because Don is having issues.
Hey guys, I'm joining Don today and he's, like he said, in the bowels of the Senate. And as a former Hill staffer, I get it that the internet is a little wonky down there. So I'm going to jump in and cover while Don's tech gets squared away. As he was saying, the fallout from the Charlie Kirk murder is ongoing. And the thing about it is that the reaction... from Republicans and trying to demonize all political dissent and some of the inflammatory language coming out of the other side is problematic. And yet people who are pointing out Charlie Kirk's legacy here are getting punished for it. And this is the question about this, the controversy around this is something I think that everybody needs to talk about because this, and I know for me, the lionizing of him is a problem.
And I know that Don wants to talk more about that. He's got some clips, some of Charlie Kirk's own words that warrant discussion. There's been some excellent commentary now that it's been almost a week since the tragic murder of him. And no one is condoning that. And I think it's absurd that we have to keep saying that clearly no one is condoning the violence against him or violence, political speech like that. No one is condoning that. And the conflation of being critical of his legacy and how he, you know, the things that he advocated and conflating that with somehow saying we're celebrating his murder is just intellectually dishonest. And frankly, it's demagoguery. They are, MAGA is using this and we're not gonna, you know, we're not gonna fall for it.
It's not, it's not okay. We need to make sure we are clear about the differences here because we all know That if it was the other way around, we all know how MAGA would be handling this. And so it's not fair. But the thing that we're watching right now, that is Kash Patel, the FBI director, which still pains me to say that this guy is leading the FBI. But he was on the Senate side yesterday testifying.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:13–0:15
2
What is the show’s opening sponsor message and why does Don recommend ZBiotics?
0:15–7:05
3
Why is Don broadcasting from the 'bowels of the Senate' and what's the Washington context?
7:05–10:28
4
How are hosts framing the immediate fallout from Charlie Kirk’s murder?
10:28–16:24
5
What evidence and examples do guests use to challenge the heroification of Charlie Kirk?
16:24–37:00
6
How did college students and clips illustrate controversies over Kirk’s rhetoric on race?
37:00–52:05
Speakers
8 identifiedMore from The Don Lemon Show
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