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What We Know with Max Foster

New Details Emerge About Charlie Kirk's Suspected Killer; Rubio Calls For Qatar's Continued Help With Gaza; Colombia Braces For Potential U.S. Decertification Over Drugs; Trump To Visit Windsor Castle On Wednesday; Trump Administration: Framework Deal Reached With China Over TikTok; Catholicism Witnessing An Unexpected Revival Among Gen Z. Aired 3- 4p ET

Aired September 15, 2025 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:23]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: More details emerging about the suspect accused of the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

The FBI's director says the man suspected of killing Charlie Kirk wrote that he had an opportunity to take out the conservative influencer, and he

planned to take it. Kash Patel took the unusual step in the ongoing investigation of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson by sharing those details in a

Fox News interview today. Patel also says DNA evidence recovered from a screwdriver and a towel found with the gun used in the murder matched the

suspect's DNA.

Let's turn now to CNNs chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst, John Miller. Thank you so much for joining us.

Why do you think these details are being shared at this point?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, I think it's a very high profile case. It is a case that is of high interest

to the White House. And frankly, in politics. And I think that the FBI director is also doing a bit of a victory lap that it was solved quickly

and wants to highlight the FBI's involvement in it.

Whether or not all of this is consistent with Department of Justice guidelines about making pretrial statements is one thing, but from our

standpoint, these are exactly the questions we've been asking, which is what do you have to tie this individual other than his statements to his

father, to the case, and what other evidence? So the revelations today, Max, that from the FBI director, that DNA on the towel, that the gun was

wrapped in matches the alleged shooter or that there is a note where he goes into some background about having the opportunity to kill Charlie Kirk

and exercising that bring us closer to the larger question, which was less about whether or not they could tie the gunman to the gun and to the

murder, and more about why. What was the why behind all this?

FOSTER: That's the question, isn't it? We will get more details, presumably as more evidence gets published by the public. We've also had

some, you know, details about his private life as well that have been released in this early stage as well?

MILLER: So, statements by the Utah governor over the weekend said that, that the suspect's live-in partner was a person undergoing a transgender

switch and that they were romantic partners. That is a fact that is hanging out there without the context of outside of that. That is interesting in

terms of personal details. What did that have to do with a potential motive?

What we do know from earlier release, Max, was that the bullet, the bullets had inscriptions with an anti-fascist message, a message having to do with

a gaming platform where there's a certain code for blowing things up and a couple of memes and kind of sophomoric one liners from the Internet. But

that didn't give us the real depth of the specifics of the motive, beyond a hint from the anti-fascist message.

So whether or not his personal relationships are going to play into this is something we are hoping to learn more about in the next 24 hours,

particularly as they get to court and reveal more of their documents that have evidence and statements inside, particularly, what did he say to

investigators when they first encountered him before he ended that cooperation shortly thereafter?

FOSTER: Yeah. John Miller, thank you so much for being across all of this for us. Really appreciate that.

MILLER: Thanks, Max.

Now, at a time when Israel is facing increasing isolation over the mass deaths and famine in Gaza, the United States is standing beside its ally,

offering unwavering support. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today. Rubio heads next to Qatar

in the wake of an Israeli strike targeting Hamas negotiators there.

Today, Rubio said diplomacy may not work with Hamas, despite a new U.S. ceasefire proposal offered just last week. Qatar is hosting an emergency

summit of Arab and Muslim leaders to discuss the strike. The Qatari emir calls it a treacherous and cowardly, saying it's impossible to deal with

Israel's, quote, malice and betrayal. But Rubio wants Qatar to stay involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: What role can Qatar play, possibly in reaching an outcome here that leads not just to the end of this

hostilities, not just to the release of all of the hostages, both living and deceased?

[15:05:03]

Not just the disarmament and elimination of Hamas, but also a better future for the people of Gaza, which isn't possible as long as Hamas exists, which

isn't possible as long as 48 hostages are being held. And so, we're going to continue to encourage Qatar to play a constructive role in that regard.

We're focused because at the end of the day, no matter what has happened, these fundamentals still remain. There is still a Hamas. There is still 48

hostages and there is still a war going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Rubio also defended Israels expanding assault on Gaza City today, the tallest building there bombed into dust. As the IDF escalates strikes

on high rises, the Palestinian health ministry says Israel is forcibly displacing residents toward what it calls overcrowded concentration camps

in the south, Jeremy Diamond has more. And we warn you, his report has some disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gaza City trembles with each new blast.

Lately, its residents have faced one strike after another. And the reality on the ground is even more terrifying. Bloodied and shaken, the injured are

rushed out amid swirls of smoke and ash wounded children carried once again into hospitals, ill-equipped to handle the rising tide of casualties that

accompanies Israel's intensifying bombardment of Gaza city. More than 140 were killed here over the weekend, according to local hospitals.

A wave of attacks that shook many here into fleeing the city. Sleepy children bundled into their parents' arms, essential belongings lugged by

those forced to move once again. At daybreak, their numbers multiply. A mass exodus on a scale not seen in Gaza in many months. More than 100,000

people were displaced this weekend alone, according to Israeli military estimates.

"I'm coming from death, indiscriminate bombardments, martyrs in the streets," Mohammed says. "It is a miracle we survived."

Old and young pressed south towards an uncertain future. Those who can afford it pay to ride on top of trucks and trailers. For many here, this is

not a first. They have been forced to pile their entire lives on top of cars and makeshift carts before they have already lost so much, and they

are exhausted.

This man says 25 of his relatives have already been killed. "I left only for these children, but I wish a rocket would hit me and I die and find

comfort because this is not life," he says. His frustration rising.

From the hundreds of thousands who still remain in Gaza City will face much more destruction and loss as Israel prepares to send ground forces into the

city in the coming days.

Ahmed is inconsolable as he walks amid the rubble of another Israeli strike. A military evacuation order allowed him to escape with his life,

but little else.

"The house is gone. Where will we stay?" he cries.

But he won't find any answers here. With so many others are asking themselves the same question.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: President Trump has made cracking down on drug cartels, especially in Venezuela, a central goal of his administration. But it's exactly --

it's actually a U.S. ally. Colombia, that's the world's largest producer of cocaine. The government there has spent decades fighting drug trafficking,

but now it's at risk of U.S. decertification for inadequate counter-drug measures. Such a move could cut millions of dollars in development programs

and military assistance.

Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez spoke on the matter in an exclusive interview with CNN's Isa Soares.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRO SANCHEZ, COLOMBIAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): Every member of the police or military forces that dies fighting against drug

trafficking in Colombia dies not only for our country, but also for the rest of the world. And this should be seen as not only national, but global

heroes. I believe the country that has sacrificed the most lives in combating drug trafficking is Colombia. In terms of decertification, which

means recognizing that Colombia is cooperating, I don't think there is a higher sacrifice in offering your life. I think this shows our complete

commitment.

However, this is a systemic problem. If Colombia were to be decertified, drug traffickers would be the winners and nations would lose because we

would no longer have the capacity to contain those drugs, and they would arrive to other shores.

(ENDVIDEO CLIP)

[15:10:04]

FOSTER: Stefano Pozzebon joins us live from the Colombian capital, Bogota. And he's obviously saying there, isn't he, the minister that you know, this

policy he's lost our sound, but hopefully he's got us back now. He got us?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I hear you back, Max. I hear you now, Max.

FOSTER: Okay, great. Stefano. I mean, the minister is basically saying this U.S. policy could backfire, and Trump needs to think about that.

POZZEBON: Yes, absolutely. And I think that there is a level of -- I don't want to use the word resentment, but there is definitely a level of

tiredness, especially here in Colombia, about this whole issue of the war on drugs with Washington demanding more and more action. So, while actually

the Colombians would say not doing enough to cut the consumption of drugs at -- in the cities like New York, Los Angeles or between you and I, Milan,

where I'm from, and London, where you're based. Like, this is a global problem. And the Colombians are tired of being just associated with the

production of cocaine, and of course, the fact that they need to step up their efforts to combat this production.

This is a country that is dealing with this problem, has been dealing with this problem for more than 50 years. And just last month, 13 policemen were

killed in attacks by the -- by narco traffickers.

The Colombian president, in particular, Gustavo Petro, came to power and he's the first president of the history of Colombia that came to power on a

decriminalization platform. He's trying to trigger a new conversation around the issue of drugs because he says that the failure has been to

create an alternative.

Take a listen. This is a sound bite, Max, that he gave us back in March, but it's pretty much the position of the Colombian government. The current

Colombian government to this day. Here is what Petro says on the matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUSTAVO PETRO, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): What we have, there is farmers who, if they don't grow coca, they starve with their

children and families. The solution to the problem is to give them what to eat and prosper through other economies. And several governments in

Colombia have failed to transform the economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: Among those, of course, we should include the Petro's government itself. It's not that the Petro government has been more successful than

its predecessor in trying to move people away from the coca economy. Actually, the opposite. In the last five years or since at least the

pandemic, the production of cocaine here in this country has grown by almost 50 percent, in part, is because more people are growing coca, and in

part is because there are better techniques in transforming the coca, the leaf itself, into the drug.

So, there are more -- more coca is being grown and at the same time more, more cocaine is produced out of coca leaf that is being harvested in

Colombia. But it is definitely a global challenge. It's definitely not a challenge that the Colombian government has the capacity to tackle itself.

And so that's why there is -- like I said, there is some tiredness from the Colombian officials about having to discuss this new effort every year and

the possibility that Washington could cut millions of dollars in foreign aid and security cooperation just because they say Colombia hasn't done

enough -- Max.

FOSTER: Okay, Stefano. The view from Colombia on that major shift. Thank you.

Now, coming up, Donald Trump heading here to the U.K. this week for a rare second state visit. More on his plans. Who will be meeting as well as a

clue there? Coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:42]

FOSTER: Donald Trump is heading to the U.K. this week in a rare second state visit for a U.S. president. The president will head to Windsor Castle

on Wednesday to meet his hosts, Britain's King Charles, Queen Camilla as well. And he'll sit down with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday.

The trips coming at a fractious time for the U.K., with Mr. Starmer under pressure from multiple sides. Much of the trip visit was planned by the

former U.K. ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, who Starmer fired last week over Mandelson's links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

So, what we want to know is what kind of reception will Donald Trump get on his second state visit?

Joining me now, Sir David Manning. He's been involved -- involved in many of these visits, these types of visits, former U.K. ambassador to the

United States.

Thank you so much for joining me, Sir David.

I was out -- I was out with the members of the army that are going to be involved in the honor guard as Trump arrives on Wednesday and it's three

times the size of a normal guard of honor, the number of military out is huge. They really are rolling out the red carpet as best they can. And

that's even on top of the fact this is a second state visit. It's a quite extraordinary welcome that's been organized.

DAVID MANNING, FORMER BRITISH DIPLOMAT: Yes, it's clearly, as you say, rolling out the red carpet in style for him.

FOSTER: He appreciates that, presumably from what you've heard and we've seen from previous visits.

MANNING: Yes, I think that's right. And I think that, this is something that Britain does rather well with its pageantry and so on. And I think

they can be sure that they can provide him with a right royal welcome, as one might say.

FOSTER: It's been interesting to see him. He also had a great deal of respect for the late Queen Elizabeth II. But that sort of almost deference

that you see with him, you know, put out, as it were, that he used to seems to have transferred to the king as well. You would think he wouldn't

necessarily share many views with. But he's obviously got a fascination with British monarchy in particular.

What do you think?

MANNING: Well, I don't think he's unique in that. I think that the monarchy is something that is a sort of ace in the British pack, really.

And it's not something that a lot of other countries have. I think the sense of history, continuity, the whole idea of the monarchy is intriguing

to a lot of people. And it's a -- it's soft power that the Britain can deploy to best effect.

FOSTER: There has been some very sensitive politics, as it always is behind these meetings. The king's job, though, is to effectively just make

him feel as welcome as possible. Is that right? And to stay away from the politics and effectively leave that until Thursday?

MANNING: Yes, that's exactly right. And of course, that's what his mother, the queen, did. They're extraordinarily accomplished at this. They are

neutral politically in our system. They are, of course. The king and his mother, heads of state. And they are greeting the head of state. But they

do not have a political role as is the case in the United States. And so, they will make sure that the president feels as welcome as he -- as they

possibly can.

FOSTER: What -- so if you were organizing this visit, which you would have been if you were in post at this time, what sort of advice would you be

giving the prime minister to try to make sure the trip went as well as possible, when clearly Keir Starmer is under massive political pressure and

there's this whole debate about freedom of speech that we've seen bubbling up in the U.K. and which Donald Trump may well address whilst he's over

here?

[15:20:23]

MANNING: Well, I think the what this visit was obviously set up a long time ago towards the beginning of this year and the political backdrop now

is very different. And as you said in your introduction, it's difficult for the prime minister. But I think there are clear aims that he has for this

visit. And I don't think they're particularly secret. He hopes, on the internal and domestic front that it will produce good results for him,

economically. He's looking for some sorts of deals on tariffs, particularly on steel I think aluminum, whiskey, salmon, and hopes that the president

will come through with good news on that.

But he's also looking for a lot of inward investment. And this is a government that's emphasized throughout the need for growth in the British

economy and is hoping that that will be contributed to, in large measure, by economic agreements with the United States.

But I think there's a second volley to this, which is that the prime minister will hope to be able to talk to the president seriously and

privately about big policy issues. Some of these will agree with the United States on, and some of them we certainly don't. And it's no secret that

that the British government and its predecessor, a different complexion of government, are passionately committed to the defense of Ukraine, deeply

worried about the illegal invasion by the Russians and see this as absolutely critical to the stability of the international order. And I

think the prime minister will certainly want to talk to the president about that.

There are issues on the Middle East we do not necessarily see eye to eye in the way that things are happening in the Middle East, and there'll be

discussions about China.

So, there will be -- this is an opportunity for the prime minister both to address the domestic agenda as he sees it, but also to talk to the

president in a -- in a frank and intimate way about big international issues. And if we're all right in assuming and we're only assuming that the

relationships, you know, quite a close and easy one. This is an obviously an excellent opportunity for him to address those issues.

FOSTER: Okay. David Manning, thank you so much for joining us. It will be fascinating to watch it all unfold over the next couple of days. Thank you.

Now, we're hoping to capitalize on the British governments political struggles is the Reform Party, with one of its top figures telling me

tonight the party is ready for government. Led by Nigel Farage and campaigning for an immigration crackdown, Reform is leading many opinion

polls in the country, despite only having five members of parliament. Those ranks were boosted today by conservative MP defecting to Reform.

And whilst the party is still young, its board member, Andrea Jenkins, told me earlier it was ready to govern.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREA JENKYNS, MAYOR OF GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE, REFORM UK PARTY: I feel we are just about there just because -- I mean, look, the professionalism of

the party is amazing. I mean, I take myself as a candidate and the support I got from our HQ, compared to being a Tory MP for nine years in marginal

seats, the professionalism is amazing at every level. Even our councilors, our candidates get training, et cetera, and support. So, it's brilliant.

And look, I'm on the board now and all I can say is you know, we're not going to reveal all our manifesto just like this. Give us any political

party four years away from an election to reveal all their manifesto. You know, that just does not happen. But, you know, we -- you'll see in time.

Weve got a strong economic policy international relations policy, but also the domestic things we've already hinted on what we're doing with crime and

immigration, but yeah, absolutely. We're ready.

And look, Nigel said in his conference speech, it's important that we bring on people on board who's also got that experience to help, prepare us for

government. And that's what today was about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Andrea Jenkyns.

Now, Elon Musk told a right-wing march in the U.K. that violence is coming.

Now, the British prime minister has called those comments dangerous and inflammatory. The Tesla chief executive was speaking via video link at a

huge march by British nationalists on Saturday, where he called for revolutionary government change. But it's his comments urging people to

fight that have drawn condemnation from Downing Street.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA: Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die. You either fight back or

you die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Anna Cooban's here with us.

There were moments of violence, weren't they, during this demonstration. But actually, broadly, it went pretty well. But everything is focused on

what was said there because people are saying it's encouraging violence.

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONOMICS REPORTER: Yes. Well, I mean, this protest, it was a -- up to 150,000 people attended. This is according to

U.K. police estimates. It was called Unite the Kingdom and it was led by a very prominent right wing political figure called Tommy Robinson.

Now, you saw in that clip there Elon Musk was speaking to Tommy Robinson using very inflammatory language. He talked about how the U.K. government

should be by the people, for the people. But also, he referenced the murder of Charlie Kirk last week and said that the left was -- people on the left

were openly celebrating this murder and that the left is the party of murder and of celebrating murder.

So, Elon Musk is not just anybody. He's literally the world's richest man. He owns X, a huge social media platform. So, and on which much of this

political divisiveness is playing out.

So, you know, when he comes to these rallies via video link and is making these inflammatory statements, people are listening.

FOSTER: And you've seen direct impact of what can I call it, his, lack of popularity in certain groups because, you know, obviously Tesla is a big

company here and its losing sales in part at least because of Musk's brand here.

COOBAN: Yeah, Musk talking at this rally is not unexpected. You know, he's been very outspoken about his politics, his views on politics, both in the

U.S. obviously, he held a political position until relatively recently, but also what's happening in Europe. He, you know, called on Germans to vote

for the AFD, the far-right party, earlier this year. Last summer, he said that civil war was inevitable in the United Kingdom during a time of anti-

immigration riots.

So, him being outspoken in this way is not unsurprising. This has also impacted Tesla sales. Weve seen record declines in the numbers of people

buying Teslas in the first quarter and the second quarter, and this is partly attributed to his political involvement.

FOSTER: So, Anna, thank you so much. We'll see. Because that's becoming a talking point around this whole Trump visit as well.

China says giant Nvidia violated antitrust laws, significantly escalating its trade standoff with the U.S. as part of a preliminary probe. Chinese

regulators say the U.S. tech giant breached the terms of a conditional approval for acquiring an Israeli chip designer. No further details were

given there. This as Washington and Beijing are set to hold a fourth round of talks in Madrid this week.

U.S. and China have finally worked out a framework for a deal over TikTok. This is ahead of Wednesday's deadline that could have disrupted the video

app's operations in the U.S. again. Negotiators for both the U.S. and China are in Spain this week to discuss TikTok and all those trade discussions.

Here's the U.S. treasury secretary giving more details about this part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: We have a framework for a TikTok deal. The two leaders, President Trump and Party Chair Xi will speak on

Friday to complete the deal. But we do have a framework for a deal with TikTok.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FOSTER: What we don't know is, is TikTok's future in the United States finally secure really?

Joining us, CNN's Clare Duffy, because we're all assuming here that this deal is that an American company will take over TikTok, but we don't know

what grouping that would be and whether or not they keep the algorithm. There are still a lot of questions, Clare.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yeah, there are huge questions here. As you hear Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying there they have a

framework in place. But I have to imagine that TikTok's 170 million American users will not truly be celebrating until this deal is signed and

sealed.

Everybody, of course, has been waiting, waiting with bated breath to figure out what TikTok's long term future in the United States is going to be. For

months now, this law that required TikTok to be sold off from its China based parent company, ByteDance, or be banned in the U.S., has technically

been in effect since January. Of course, President Trump has repeatedly delayed enforcement of that law, most recently, as you said, until

September 17th, later this week.

So, President Trump and Chinese President Xi are set to meet to discuss the terms of this deal on Friday. And the stakes there are going to be high. I

think that, you know, China's approval of this deal has long been a hurdle. China has been resistant to selling this very successful, very popular tech

platform. And you have to imagine that Trump and Xi are going to need to be aligned on a broader trade agreement here. If this deal is going to be

successful.

You'll remember, Max, that back in April, the White House was nearly finished with a TikTok deal. But that deal fell apart because Trump

announced new tariffs on China. So, I do think these announcements are a promising step towards a deal, but we're not quite at the finish line just

yet.

[15:30:01]

FOSTER: Okay, Clare. We'll see. Thank you so much. More details on Friday.

Still to come, amid fears, the political divide in the U.S. is growing wider. The White House pointing fingers and placing blame following the

death of Charlie Kirk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Breaking news just in to CNN. We are learning that the suspect in the Charlie Kirk killing appears to have confessed online. That's according

to "The Washington Post".

CNN's Ed Lavandera, following developments from Utah -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Max. Well, this "Washington Post" reporting coming out today. And they're attributing this

to two sources familiar with the content of a Discord chat group and also having viewed screenshots of this conversation.

But what "The Washington Post" is reporting is that hours before 22-year- old Tyler turned himself in, he confessed to a group of friends in a chat group on Discord. And he wrote this, quote, hey guys, I have some bad news

for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. I'm sorry for all of this.

And that, writing, apparently, according to "The Washington Post" reporting, happened about two hours before he was taken into custody in the

-- in the text thread there. It also went. He also went on to say and tell the group that he would be surrendering to authorities shortly, and then

thanked them for, quote, all the good times and laughs.

What is interesting about the timing of all of this is that this conversation appears to have been happening at the very time that

authorities here in Utah were releasing the video images of the person they suspected to be the culprit of the shooting and killing of Charlie Kirk, as

he was running away from the scene along the rooftop. And then they released new images at the time when authorities released all of that.

[15:35:01]

It was clear that they didn't really have a clear indication as to who this suspect was or where he might be.

But unbeknownst to them, all of this kind of beginning to unfold because it was shortly thereafter that the call came into authorities in near St.

George, Utah, in the southwest corner of the state, which is about a 3-1/2- hour drive from this campus, that this suspect was ready to turn himself in for the shooting and killing of Charlie Kirk last week.

So that is the new significant reporting we have from our colleagues at "The Washington Post" -- Max.

FOSTER: Okay, really appreciate that. Ed, thank you for that.

U.S. President Donald Trump doesn't appear to be interested in tamping down the political tension following the shooting. Mr. Trump says the problem is

on the left. It's not on the right. Vice President J.D. Vance echoed those sentiments when he hosted Charlie Kirk podcast earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have to talk about this incredibly destructive movement of left wing extremism that has grown

up over the last few years, and I believe is part of the reason why Charlie was killed by an assassins bullet. We're going to talk about how to

dismantle that and how to bring real unity -- real unity that can only come when we tell the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Kristen Holmes is at the White House for us on this.

I mean, it was an interesting use of the podcast, wasn't it? But this divisiveness that many are seeing in the speech as well.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That's right, Max. I mean, looking back at some of the things he said, you could tell in

some ways, and in some instances he was trying to hedge.

For example, I want to read one line where he says, are these people violent? I hope not, but are they guilty of encouraging violence? You damn

better will believe it. And then he says, we can thank God that most Democrats don't share these attitudes.

But despite that, were really hearing from the right and from President Trump coming all the way from the top, this divisive talk, this talk about

polarization. And there was a moment in which it seemed as though this could be a turning point for the country, that we would see leaders on both

sides calling for unity, calling for a cooling down of rhetoric of temperament. And it does feel like that moment is passing. Over the

weekend, we saw President Trump do a quick interview with NBC News in which, in the same breath, he said that he wanted to see the nation heal,

but also said that they were dealing with radical left lunatics who weren't playing by the rules.

So really, everything is being pinned on this kind of ideology and blaming the left, blaming Democrats for Charlie Kirk's death. Of course, the big

question is where do we even go from here as a country? And you have, you know, at one point, J.D. Vance saying it's not all Democrats were looking

towards some kind of way to get to unity. But you also had President Trump saying that far left groups are going to be investigated, that some of them

were already under investigation.

We heard Stephen Miller in that same podcast with Vice President J.D. Vance essentially saying that they were looking into terrorist organizations and

terror cells. And this is clearly amped up rhetoric when it comes to talking about politics. We've reached out to see what exactly President

Trump was talking about, who is under investigation? Is there something ongoing from before the assassination of Charlie Kirk?

And we just don't have answers on that right now. But it does seem very clear that this is not in any way, at least coming from the White House,

going to be a call to bring the nation together. It is going to be a focus on the politics of all of this.

FOSTER: Yeah, absolutely. Kristen Holmes, thank you for joining us.

After the break, some people are getting fired for commenting about Kurt's murder online. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:41:44]

FOSTER: Some people are getting fired for allegedly celebrating Charlie Kirk's murder online. Conservative activists and some Republicans, elected

officials, Republican elected officials are spotlighting social media messages about Kirks death. Keeping track of the posters critical of him.

The chief Pentagon spokesman warns any celebrating or mocking of Kirks assassination is incompatible with military service.

CNN's Natasha Bertrand is in Washington.

I mean, there has been this unbelievable reaction to all of this, but a debate about when legitimate criticism of Kirks political views crosses

into complete, distasteful -- distastefulness.

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That's right. And it's worth noting here that the secretary of defense himself is closely

monitoring all of the accounts that are posting that appear to be affiliated with the U.S. military, to make sure that they are not saying

anything that might be seen as celebrating Charlie Kirk's death.

But to some, that has crossed over into undue command influence over those who are simply expressing their opinion about the situation. And it's worth

noting that as some of the service members that have been either fired or relieved from their duties in recent days, they have had pretty wildly

different takes on the situation. For example, one marine corps official who was suspended, posted, quote, another racist popped in response to

Charlie Kirk's assassination, and he was immediately suspended. But there were -- there was another, army official who was relieved from his duties

for issuing a more kind of nuanced critique of Charlie Kirk, saying that he died doing what he loved best, spreading messages of hate, racism,

homophobia, misogyny, and transphobia.

Now, this individual emphasized that Charlie Kirk's death was tragic and that he wasn't celebrating it. And so, there seems to be a spectrum here of

the kinds of views that we see being posted by members of the military, but they are all not acceptable, deemed not acceptable to the secretary of

defense and his staff.

And this is very consistent with what we have seen previously from the secretary and from his subordinates. They frequently will go on social

media and police, essentially what members of the military are saying. And ultimately, they will report it to the different services the army, the

navy, the air force, and try to get them to take action.

And so, we have seen instances of that in recent days. It's unclear how many more individuals have been suspended or relieved from their duties,

but safe to say that the department is taking this very seriously. You know, regardless of how strong -- how strong some of the criticism has been

from some of these service members.

FOSTER: Yeah. And a lot of people questioning whether or not a public body like that should be doing this sort of thing, not just because it's one

case, but because they're not doing it for everyone. They might not have an issue with this happening, but they do have an issue with the fact it's

only done for Trump supporters effectively.

BERTRAND: That's exactly right. I think there's been a lot of concern that this is not being applied evenly. And that's why the secretary now is going

to have to grapple with the fact that several of these service members may actually have cases in court to make against their firings or their

suspensions. It's unclear just how far those cases will actually go, but safe to say that several of them are going to be making some free speech

claims as well -- Max.

FOSTER: Okay, Natasha, thank you so much. There's also controversy brewing at "The Washington Post". Longtime writer Karen Attiah says she was fired

in part over her posts about Charlie Kirk. In the wake of last week's assassination, Attiah posted a string of messages about political violence

she criticized, quote, empty rhetoric denouncing violence that hasn't been matched by actions. The post declined to comment on personal matters,

though.

Still to come, a big night in Hollywood for the television industry. We'll have all the winners from Sunday's Emmy Awards.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:48:25]

FOSTER: Sunday was TV's big night at the 77th primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. A major winner was a Netflix series, "Adolescence", which garnered

six awards. A highlight of the night, 15-year-old show actor Owen Cooper becoming the youngest male to win in his category.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OWEN COOPER, YOUNGEST WINNER EVER FOR THE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple of years back, I didn't expect

to be even in the United States. Never mind it. But I think tonight proves that if you -- if you listen and you focus and you step out your comfort

zone, you can achieve. You can achieve anything in life. I was -- I was nothing about three years ago. I'm here now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Elizabeth Wagmeister has more at her coverage of the big Emmy winners.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max. A huge night for "Adolescence", which won eight Emmy Awards, winning in every

single category. It was nominated in last night, of course, one of the biggest moments for Owen Cooper, who we just saw right there.

Now, "The Studio" also having a huge night. "The Studio" is a comedy created by Seth Rogen, who also stars in the show, which pokes fun at

Hollywood. The show won 13 Emmys, becoming the biggest comedy winner in a single year in Emmy history.

Now on the drama side, the medical drama "The Pitt", which here airs on HBO Max, was a big winner, winning not just for best drama but also for best

actor in a drama with star Noah Wyle. This was his first Emmy win, believe it or not, and the first time that he was nominated in 26 years. Ever since

he got his nominations for, of course, the medical drama "E.R."

NOAH WYLE, ACTOR, "THE PITT": To my children, to my parents, to my stepparents and to my beautiful wife Sarah, who owns half of this, not just

because its California law, because she earned it, and mostly to anybody who's going on shift tonight or coming off shift tonight. Thank you for

being in that job. This is for you.

TRAMELL TILLMAN, ACTOR, "SEVERANCE": My first acting coach was tough. Y'all but all great mothers are.

Mama, you were there for me when no one else was. And no one else would show up. Your loving kindness stays with me. And this is for you.

STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDIAN AND HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong, be brave and if

the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: A new animated film has claimed the top spot at the U.S. box office. Meanwhile, all the way from Japan, "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle"

opened this weekend to an estimated $70 million. That breaks a record previously set 26 years ago by "Pokemon: The First Movie". "Infinity

Castle", beat out all installments in "The Conjuring" and "Downton Abbey" franchises. The anime film about demon hunting warriors begins the final

story arc following the hit show, which launched in 2019.

Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny's residency has come to an end, creating an economic boom in his native Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny chose to skip the

continental U.S. on tour instead, and instead stay in Puerto Rico for a three-month residency. An estimated $200 million is being brought into the

economy so far. People came not only for the concert, but for the local culture. Staying in hotels, restaurants and even spending money on Bad

Bunny themed tours.

Many mainstream religious religions in Western countries have been charting a sharp decline in youth engagement, but in Europe, Catholicism is

witnessing a surprising rebound. This, despite the Catholic Church's troubled past and global sex abuse scandals.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more on what's inspiring this youth revival.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sharing the oldest of messages in the newest of forms, on Instagram and TikTok,

Sister Albertine leads prayers and offers advice to her more than half million followers. Part of a growing tribe of Catholic influencers who are

speaking to a generation dusting off the solemnity of the past.

SISTER ALBERTINE DEBACKER, FRENCH CATHOLIC NUN AND SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER: This is how God is doing. I think he's surprising us. How are we going to

help these young people?

BELL: Partly through song and dance at this Christian festival in the foothills of the French Alps, a young generation has flocked many followers

of Sister Albertine who've come to hear her speak.

JEANNE FABRE, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: She really makes questions of faith accessible, and in fact, she's really authentic.

BELL: The 29-year-old nun says she's inundated with questions. Her role simply to take to the space where the young spend most of their time.

DEBACKER: Jesus was going outside. Jesus was walking all the time. He was searching for encounter people. And now, in 2025 to encounter people, we

have to start with social media.

BELL: Over the last few years here in France, there's been a doubling in the number of adult baptisms, with nearly half of those coming from

families with no religious background. The starkest rise of all is amongst the very youngest, 18 to 25 year olds.

The stunning rebuilding of Notre Dame may also have added a new shine to the image of Catholicism.

Audrey Bourges, who's 24, shows us where she was fortunate enough to be baptized on Easter.

AUDREY BOURGES, CATHOLIC CONVERT: So, yeah, the church was really, really helpful because I joined just after COVID. I found friends. I found my

boyfriend. I found everything I was looking for in my life. And some people I can rely on.

BELL: Back at the festival, Sister Albertine, just back from the Vatican's jubilee celebrations, tells the crowd of her chance encounter with Pope

Leo. She'd been invited as one of more than a thousand influencers as the church moves to capitalize on this thoroughly modern megaphone to the

young.

FATHER LUCIANO COUTO, HEAD OF YOUTH MINISTRY, CHEMIN NEUF COMMUNITY: They are eager for that. They are thirsty for that experience. God can talk to

me, and they are coming to the Catholic Church because we have a 2,000 years tradition of teaching people to hear God's voice. And that's awesome.

[15:55:00]

BELL: A religion says Father Luciano. That is yet again showing its remarkable power of resurrection.

Melissa Bell, CNN, in the French Alps.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Finally, this hour, when you hear the word runaway, you might be expecting to see troubled youth of some kind. Well, these Austrian escapees

might surprise you. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SISTER RITA, AUSTRIAN NUN (through translator): But this is for me. I am filled with immense joy and gratitude in my heart that I can be back again.

And our familiar buildings and our so-called cloister and all around it, that I can go back to the children again if we're allowed to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: But they aren't letting old age slow them down. They've been on the run, escaping from a church run retirement home and breaking into their

old convent. Rest assured, they didn't do it alone. They were helped along the way by former students and sympathetic villagers who wanted to see them

back at the place that they call home.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW.

"QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next.

END

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