Charlie Kirk Assassination Prompts Security Surge Across Media

On the morning of Sept. 12, President Donald Trump sat down on the couch with Ainsley Earhardt, Brian Kilmeade and Lawrence Jones on “Fox & Friends.” Typically, the network would have widely touted an in-studio visit from a sitting president given the rarity of the occasion. After all, Trump has only dropped by the show in-person once before. But Fox News’ PR team held off on announcing the in-studio aspect of his visit when they alerted the usual political reporters in advance. Instead, the network opted to be cautious in the wake of the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk less than 48 hours earlier. Likewise, Vice President JD Vance abruptly canceled a live sit-down with Martha MacCallum at Fox News’ midtown headquarters — already one of the most fortressed buildings in Manhattan with massive planters that surround the entire perimeter — hours earlier despite the fact that the interview had not yet been publicized. (Fox News declined comment.)

In the wake of Kirk being fatally shot during a Sept. 10 debate at Utah Valley University — a shocking event that Free Press founder Bari Weiss called “arguably the most high-profile killing of a political figure since the ’60s in this country” — security concerns have hit an all-time high. Popular podcasters, streamers and journalists who are vocal on a range of polarizing issues including Trump, Israel and transgender policies are facing unprecedented risks. As a result, firms like SAGE Intelligence, which provides protection for high-profile industry figures, have seen incoming calls skyrocket over the past week.

“Everybody is increasing their security at this point,” says SAGE founder Herman Weisberg, a 20-year veteran of the NYPD. “Their families are now getting security when they didn’t before. People are asking for advanced work where we coordinate travel for them. As someone who does threat assessments, it’s off the charts right now what’s…