meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Bulwark Takes

Did Internet Troll Culture Fuel a Killer? (w/ Ryan Broderick)

Bulwark Takes

The Bulwark

Society & Culture, News Commentary, News, Politics

4.71.2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Tim Miller speaks with Ryan Broderick about the extremist internet culture connected to the Charlie Kirk assassination. They examine how meme language, online subcultures, and accelerationist networks are radicalizing young men and driving political violence. 

Read more from Ryan Broderick at garbageday.email/

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Building a coffee business, serving the best Americano in town is up to you. But winning back time and growing your business, leave that to sum up. Take orders and payments anywhere with the new SumUp terminal. Turn occasional customers into regulars with a free loyalty program. And with the sumup point of sale system, you'll always know when you're running low on your best selling blends. Visit sumup.com.combe. To learn more. Hey, everybody, Tim Miller from the Bullwark here. Up next, I've got an interview with my guy,

0:24.0

Ryan Broderick, who's probably the best person out there, or at least my favorite, covering

0:28.2

internet culture and the intersection with politics. And so I went to interview him about

0:34.2

the internet culture that the Charlie Kirk assassin was ensconced in, as reflected in the carvings that he did on the bullets that ended up, at least one of them, ended up killing Charlie Kirk.

0:49.1

And I think it's really important and valuable conversation for a lot of reasons.

0:52.4

But since that conversation, we have had

0:55.0

some more breaking news on what the motive might have been based on this report from authorities

1:03.3

and the release of some text messages between the shooter and his trans roommate. Among the texts, he writes,

1:12.1

Why did I do it?

1:13.6

I had enough of his hatred.

1:15.4

Some hate can't be negotiated out.

1:17.4

So it's important to just say clearly,

1:19.7

there was some ideological motivation here,

1:24.8

clearly related to Kirk's speech.

1:30.5

I mean, he says it as clear as day in the text to his roommate. There have been some people that have tried to claim that that wasn't the

1:38.3

case, but I don't know how much more evidence you need than that. In addition to that, he also talks about the meme culture that we get into in this interview.

1:50.7

And he talks about how the engravings that he does on the bullets, he says the fucking messages are mostly a big meme.

1:59.5

So if I see notices bulge,

2:01.8

Owoo on Fox News, misspelled,

2:04.7

I might have a stroke.

2:06.7

So it also was a troll.

2:09.2

And it also demonstrates that he was,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Bulwark, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Bulwark and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.