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FBI reportedly advised Pat McAfee to wear bulletproof vest after Kirk killing

Front Office Sports reported, citing one source, that the FBI advised ESPN's Pat McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest the week after Charlie Kirk was killed. It surfaced after McAfee said he felt unsafe at a "College GameDay" stop in Utah.

2 outlets · 0L · 1C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: Fox News
Image: Newsweek

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The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2Front Office Sports reported that the FBI advised ESPN's Pat McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest the week after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed, citing one source. Right · 1Fox News's OutKick, which relayed the report, said its own source familiar with the situation gave the same account. The FBI has not been quoted in either article. Centre · 1The report followed McAfee's comments on his show on Monday about his experience filming "College GameDay" in Utah over the weekend.

Centre · 1McAfee said he was bothered that the university's Instagram page asked students to do impressions of him just before he went on air, and that one student called him "corny" and another "creepy". He said he would hopefully never go back to the campus. Mixed · 2He tied his unease to Kirk's assassination at Utah Valley University in September last year. Mixed · 2Fox News described the campus as Utah Valley University, while Newsweek placed the "College GameDay" stop at the University of Utah and said Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University.

Mixed · 2ESPN said it takes safety threats seriously and supports McAfee, saying it recognises "the very real and valid concerns he has around safety and security." Centre · 1Newsweek said the University of Utah apologised for "any perception that Pat was unsafe or unwelcome". Front Office Sports also reported, per sources, that McAfee regularly receives threatening messages, including death threats. Right · 1Fox News said it was unclear what specifically made McAfee feel unsafe, and that McAfee had not responded to its request for comment on the FBI's advice.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre1 outlet

Framing
Newsweek leads with McAfee's on-air complaint about the university's Instagram video, then presents the FBI advice as showing his worry was justified.
Emphasis
McAfee's quotes, ESPN's full statement, the university's apology, and reported regular death threats.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not note that the FBI advice rests on a single anonymous source or that the FBI has not commented.
Charged language
“mini rant”“good reason to be worried”
For example
“McAfee had good reason to be worried about his safety” — Newsweek
“went on a mini rant on his “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday” — Newsweek

Right1 outlet

Framing
Fox News's OutKick presents the vest advice as a sign of wider safety fears among polarising media figures after Kirk's killing, and casts McAfee as a frequent target of online hostility.
Emphasis
Kirk's assassination and its effect on media figures' safety; the viral university video mocking McAfee; McAfee's prominence.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the University of Utah's apology or the reported death threats, and names the campus as Utah Valley University.
Charged language
“hysteria and false accusations”“arguably the biggest star in sports media”
For example
“McAfee, arguably the biggest star in sports media, is frequently the target of hysteria and false accusations from internet users” — Fox News
“as safety fears grow for media figures” — Fox News

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