Representative Derrick Van Orden stated on September 11th, 2025, that media outlets are responsible for the assassination of Charlie Kirk, echoing previous statements blaming the press for "horrifically horrible political violent rhetoric." Van Orden made these remarks to reporters following a briefing, asserting the media's role in the violence that led to Kirk's death. Van Orden directly addressed reporters, stating, "You are responsible for this, because you are echoing the horrifically horrible political violent rhetoric produced by the Democrat Party." When questioned about his attribution of blame given the unknown identity of the shooter, Van Orden responded, "You know what, knock it off." This statement was reported via X by Fritschner. In separate developments, Representative Clay Higgins announced on September 11th, 2025, at 3:31 PM UTC via a statement on X, that he will use Congressional authority and influence with big tech platforms to permanently ban any user who celebrated Charlie Kirk's assassination, stating, "those profiles must come down." Higgins also declared his intention to pursue business license revocation and blacklisting for such individuals. Federal authorities continue to investigate Kirk's assassination at Utah Valley University. Previous reports indicated the recovery of a screwdriver near the rifle used and ammunition engraved with ideological phrases. The investigation has reportedly identified multiple persons of interest based on eyewitness testimony and video footage, though the primary suspect remains unidentified. Utah Valley University remains closed until September 15th. Separately, during a briefing to congressional staff on Tuesday, Pentagon senior officials revealed that a suspected narco-terrorist vessel targeted by an MQ-9 "Reaper" using an AGM-114 "Hellfire" Missile last week in the Southern Caribbean had turned around prior to being struck and appeared to be returning to Venezuela. Those attending the briefing, who spoke to CNN, noted that officials failed to provide positive identification of the boat's origin, its crew's affiliation with Tren de Aragua, its destination, or whether the individuals were armed or posed an imminent threat to U.S. Forces.
