<!-- mobian-agent-page publisher="time" canonical="https://time.com/4375000/orlando-shooting-transcript-redactions-paul-ryan/" -->

---
title: Orlando Shooting: Paul Ryan Criticizes Transcript Redactions
description: House Speaker Paul Ryan criticized the FBI for not releasing all of the transcript of a 911 call made by Orlando shooter Omar Mateen.
canonical: https://time.com/4375000/orlando-shooting-transcript-redactions-paul-ryan/
author: TIME Staff
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2016-06-20T16:46:59.000Z
article:modified_time: 2024-01-24T12:43:13.000Z
article:section: Politics
og:title: Speaker Criticizes FBI Over Redactions in Orlando Transcript
og:description: He called it censorship.
og:url: https://time.com/4375000/orlando-shooting-transcript-redactions-paul-ryan/
og:site_name: TIME
og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b49167d9ee62a16/698897f0524fc07cf0df862f/omar-mateen-orlando1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
og:image:width: 2560
og:image:height: 1440
og:image:alt: Undated photo from a social media account of Omar Mateen
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: Speaker Criticizes FBI Over Redactions in Orlando Transcript
twitter:description: He called it censorship.
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b49167d9ee62a16/698897f0524fc07cf0df862f/omar-mateen-orlando1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
video:duration: 01:45
video:published: 2016-06-20
section: world
topics: mass shooting, FBI investigation, terrorism, radicalization, 911 calls, victim families, domestic extremism, law enforcement press conference
genre: news, press conference
tones: somber, formal, measured, respectful
emotions: grief (high), fear (medium), determination (medium)
sentiment: negative
audience: general news audiences, policy observers, families affected by the shooting, law enforcement followers
people: Ron Hopper, Omar Mateen
organizations: FBI
content_suitability: violence [00:00-01:45]; death [00:30-01:40]; crime [00:00-01:25]; terrorism [00:30-01:00]; tragedy [01:36-01:45]
transcript_source: automatic transcription
transcript_reviewed: not applicable
---

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b49167d9ee62a16/698897f0524fc07cf0df862f/omar-mateen-orlando1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Paul Ryan Criticizes FBI Over Redactions in Orlando Shooting Transcript

<!-- mobian-agent-ad sponsored="true" id="0099bc0d-bf50-44c7-8e79-8281d6ac3429" campaign="time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3" creative="time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1" -->

> Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material.

> Last updated: September 2026.

## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=0099bc0d-bf50-44c7-8e79-8281d6ac3429&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1).

### Newsletter facts

| Attribute | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 |
| Frequency | Twice a week | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 |
| Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 |

### Readership

The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy.

### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements

*   D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically.
*   TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read.
*   D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=0099bc0d-bf50-44c7-8e79-8281d6ac3429&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1).
*   TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself.
*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=0099bc0d-bf50-44c7-8e79-8281d6ac3429&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What is TIME's politics newsletter?

D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week.

#### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email?

D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time.

#### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief?

Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief.

#### Is D.C. Brief free?

Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.

### Sources

*   TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=0099bc0d-bf50-44c7-8e79-8281d6ac3429&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "mainEntity": [
        {
            "name": "What is TIME's politics newsletter?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Is D.C. Brief free?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        }
    ]
}
</script>

<!-- /mobian-agent-ad -->


<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/97DQgMSG.m3u8" -->
## Video: FBI Discusses Orlando Shooter's Phonecall To Police

[Watch (HLS stream): FBI Discusses Orlando Shooter's Phonecall To Police](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/97DQgMSG.m3u8) (1:45)

![FBI Discusses Orlando Shooter's Phonecall To Police](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/97DQgMSG/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2016-06-20. FBI Asst. Special Agent Ron Hopper holds a press conference on Omar Mateen's dispatch call to the police, as well as further details on the investigation._
Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed.

## Summary
FBI Assistant Special Agent Ron Hopper addresses the press about the Orlando shooter's call to police. He says the audio will not be released out of respect for victims, and that the 911 calls from victims will also be withheld. He describes the shooter as identifying himself as an Islamic soldier pledging allegiance to a terrorist organization, while stating that this does not represent Islam and that there is currently no evidence of foreign direction, only domestic radicalization. The investigation is described as active and expected to last months or years.

## Key points
- The FBI will not release the audio of the killer's dispatch call, though Hopper says the killer made murderous statements in a chilling, calm and deliberate manner. (00:00)
- The FBI will not provide the victims' 911 calls, which Hopper says is out of ultimate respect for the victims and to avoid excruciating pain to them. (00:10)
- The killer of 49 people and shooter of 53 others identified himself as an Islamic soldier who pledged allegiance to a terrorist organization. (00:30)
- Hopper states the killer does not represent the religion of Islam, but a perverted view inspired by extremists. (00:30)
- There is currently no evidence that the killer was directed by a foreign terrorist group; he was radicalized domestically. (01:00)
- The killer stated he had an explosive device, but none was found; only a gun was found at the scene. (01:09)
- Hopper says the investigation is one week and one day old and may last months and even years. (01:18)
- Hopper pledges the FBI will work to bring justice to the surviving victims and the families of those who were killed. (01:25)

## Chapters
- [00:00 to 00:27] Withholding dispatch audio and victim 911 calls. Hopper explains why the FBI will not release the killer's call audio or the victims' 911 calls.
- [00:27 to 01:00] Shooter's stated allegiance and radicalization. Hopper describes the shooter's claimed allegiance to a terrorist organization and says there is no evidence of foreign direction.
- [01:00 to 01:25] Explosive claim and investigation timeline. Hopper notes the claimed explosive device was not found and says the investigation will continue for a long period.
- [01:25 to 01:45] Commitment to victims and families. Hopper pledges justice for survivors and the families of the deceased, referencing Father's Day.

## Key quotes
- [00:10] Ron Hopper: "While we will not be providing the 911 calls made by the victims, we're doing this out of ultimate respect."
- [00:30] Ron Hopper: "He does not represent the religion of Islam, but a perverted view which based on what we know today was inspired by extremists."
- [01:00] Ron Hopper: "We currently have no evidence that he was directed by a foreign terrorist group, but was radicalized domestically."
- [01:18] Ron Hopper: "This investigation is one week and one day old, and it may last months and even years."

## Questions this video answers
- Will the FBI release the audio of the killer's call to police? [00:00]
- Will the FBI release the 911 calls made by the victims? [00:10]
- Did the Orlando shooter claim allegiance to a terrorist organization? [00:30]
- Is there evidence that the shooter was directed by a foreign terrorist group? [01:00]
- Was an explosive device found after the shooter claimed to have one? [01:09]
- How long is the investigation expected to last? [01:18]

## Content suitability
- violence [00:00-01:45]: Discussion of a mass shooting that killed 49 people and injured 53 others.
- death [00:30-01:40]: References to the killing of 49 people and the families of the deceased.
- crime [00:00-01:25]: Active criminal investigation into a mass shooting.
- terrorism [00:30-01:00]: Shooter claimed allegiance to a terrorist organization; FBI discusses extremism and radicalization.
- tragedy [01:36-01:45]: Reference to families grieving lost loved ones on Father's Day after the June 12 events.


by 

[TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/)


## TIME Staff


Updated: Jan 24, 2024 12:43 PM UTCPublished: Jun 20, 2016 4:46 PM UTC

FBI Asst. Special Agent Ron Hopper holds a press conference on Omar Mateen's dispatch call to the police, as well as further details on the investigation. 

by 

[TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/)


## TIME Staff


Updated: Jan 24, 2024 12:43 PM UTCPublished: Jun 20, 2016 4:46 PM UTC

House Speaker Paul Ryan criticized the FBI for not releasing all of [the transcript of a 911 call](https://www.fbi.gov/tampa/press-releases/2016/investigative-update-regarding-pulse-nightclub-shooting) made by Orlando shooter Omar Mateen. The agency later released the full transcript.

During the shooting at the Pulse nightclub, Mateen made a 50-second call to 911 to take responsibility. Law enforcement officials [previously told NBC News](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/orlando-nightclub-massacre/terror-hate-what-motivated-orlando-nightclub-shooter-n590496) that in the call he swore allegiance to the head of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, during the call, but those key words were redacted in the initial transcript released by the Tampa division of the FBI Monday:

---

> “”

---

Ryan called the decision to selectively edit the transcript “preposterous.”

> [](https://twitter.com/SpeakerRyan/status/744914695153397760)

Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Sunday that portions of the transcript would not be released.

“What we’re not going to do is further proclaim this man’s pledges of allegiance to terrorist groups, and further his propaganda,”she [said in an interview on “Meet the Press.”](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/06/19/lynch%5Fpartial%5Ftranscript%5Fof%5Forlando%5F911%5Fcalls%5Fwill%5Fhave%5Freferences%5Fto%5Fisis%5Fcut%5Fout.html)

Later on Monday, the FBI released[ the unredacted transcript](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/joint-statement-justice-department-and-fbi-regarding-transcript-related-orlando-terror-attack):

---

> “”

---


President Obama has said that there is [“no clear evidence”](http://time.com/4366418/orlando-shooting-isis-barack-obama/) that the Orlando shooting was tied to a larger plot or the Islamic State.


## Transcript

[00:00] [ BLANK_AUDIO ]

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4375000/orlando-shooting-transcript-redactions-paul-ryan/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4375000/orlando-shooting-transcript-redactions-paul-ryan/"},"headline":"Paul Ryan Criticizes FBI Over Redactions in Orlando Shooting Transcript","datePublished":"2016-06-20T16:46:59.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-24T12:43:13.000Z","description":"House Speaker Paul Ryan criticized the FBI for not releasing all of the transcript of a 911 call made by Orlando shooter Omar Mateen.","url":"https://time.com/4375000/orlando-shooting-transcript-redactions-paul-ryan/","keywords":["Orlando Shooting","FBI","Paul Ryan","justice","loretta lynch"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b49167d9ee62a16/698897f0524fc07cf0df862f/omar-mateen-orlando1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6b49167d9ee62a16/698897f0524fc07cf0df862f/omar-mateen-orlando1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Undated photo from a social media account of Omar Mateen","caption":"Undated photo from a social media account of Omar Mateen","creditText":"Handout/Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/orlando-shooting/","name":"Orlando Shooting"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4375000/orlando-shooting-transcript-redactions-paul-ryan/","name":"Paul Ryan Criticizes FBI Over Redactions in Orlando Shooting Transcript"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"FBI Discusses Orlando Shooter's Phonecall To Police","description":"FBI Asst. Special Agent Ron Hopper holds a press conference on Omar Mateen's dispatch call to the police, as well as further details on the investigation.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/97DQgMSG/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-06-20T16:42:23.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/97DQgMSG.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4375000/orlando-shooting-transcript-redactions-paul-ryan/","duration":"PT1M45S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4375000/orlando-shooting-transcript-redactions-paul-ryan/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}]
```

