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Calls For Both Calm And Consequences Follow Kirk Killing

Bonisiwe Shabane
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calls for both calm and consequences follow kirk killing

The suspected assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk has some public figures pleading for restraint, while others agitate for violent reprisals The shooting death of far-right activist Charlie Kirk during a rally at Utah Valley University yesterday has thrust the United States into frightening political waters reminiscent of the violent civic unrest of the late... While the shooter remains at large and their motive is, for the time being, unknown, Kirk’s death has nevertheless prompted waves of commentary from across the political spectrum, as lawmakers and pundits grapple with... Across much of the political left and center, responses to Kirk’s death have focused largely on calls to reverse America’s slide toward political violence. The shooting has left a “polarized America” in its wake, said Politico. The country is now “left to reckon” if the “Gordian knot of political violence can be untied.”

The nation must “reject political violence in EVERY form,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), a potential 2028 presidential contender, on X. Newsom’s recent podcast appearance with Kirk angered many in his own party for finding common cause against transgender athletes. Americans need to “think about where we are and where we want to be,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) on Wednesday at a press conference. “Is this it?

Is this what 250 years has wrought on us? I pray that that’s not the case.” Kirk's death is “shocking and horrible” and an “example of political violence that has no place in our country,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), whose wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, was wounded in a mass shooting in 2011, said on X. While we will “always have political disagreement,” Giffords said on X, we can “never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence.” Escape your echo chamber.

Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. WASHINGTON, D.C. — The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has fueled a debate about whether harsh rhetoric by politicians has contributed to a rise in political violence. In the wake of Kirk’s shooting death, leaders across the political spectrum have condemned political violence. Some, though, continue to use harsh rhetoric and blame those with whom they disagree. Some Democrats have criticized the rhetoric from President Donald Trump and top officials in his administration as contributing to a toxic public discourse, while some Republicans said the left was to blame for Kirk’s...

“While our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics are proud members of the far left,” Vice President JD Vance... 15. In the last five years, 54% of politically motivated murders were committed by right-wingers, versus 22% committed by left-wingers, according to a study by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. Another 21% were committed by Islamists. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at a press conference flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel following the fatal shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk on Friday in Orem, Utah.

Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images hide caption When Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced there was a suspect in custody for the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Friday, he delivered another message directly to young Americans. "You are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option," Cox said to a crowded room of reporters at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Cox, a Republican, encouraged young people to "choose a different path," referencing a comment Kirk made before his death about how society has to get back to having "reasonable agreement where violence is not...

Watch Cox from Friday's press conference: Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab The killing of Charlie Kirk and the political violence haunting America, the deadly ‘kissing bug’ disease spreading across the U.S., and more As friends and political allies, including Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President J.D. Vance, mourn the death of Charlie Kirk, some on the right have jumped on the conservative activist’s assassination to call for a crackdown on the left.

What was meant to be a moment of silence for Kirk on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening soon gave way to flashes of a vitriolic political divide that would... As the moment of silence passed the 30-second mark, Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert called for a spoken prayer for Kirk, who at the time was reportedly in critical condition, saying, “I believe silent prayers get silent results.” The request was met with boos from some... Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, shouted above the commotion from across the room, “You all caused this,” to which one Democrat could be heard responding, “Pass some gun laws!” Charlie Kirk speaks at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2022.Brian Cahn/ZUMA

Wednesday’s fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was greeted with widespread grief, horror, and shock by many MAGA and right-wing figures, some of whom counted Kirk as a friend or cited him as... But while many simply expressed their grief for Kirk and his family, and politicians on both sides of the aisle condemned the killing, some public figures used the moment to make incendiary claims. On Wednesday evening, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X that “[t]he subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.” (By that point, far-fetched conspiracy... This did not stop some figures from stoking outrage, particularly against “the left,” whom—despite lacking any evidence as to the shooter’s identity and motive—they blamed for the killing. Former DOGE head and Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted to his 225 million followers, “The Left is the party of murder.” “The goal for Republicans in the next ten years shouldn’t just be to win elections, but to destroy the Democrat Party entirely and salt the earth underneath it.”

In the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's death, President Trump and his allies have promised consequences for people who speak callously about his killing. Inside and outside of Trump's government, it's led to people being fired, suspended or reprimanded. It also sparked an open debate about the limits of free speech. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Will Creeley and Jamelle Bouie. Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

In the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's death, President Trump's administration and his allies have promised consequences for people who speak callously about his killing. Inside and outside of Trump's government, it's led to people being fired, suspended or reprimanded. And it sparked an open debate about the limits of free speech. J.D. Vance, Vice President of the United States: Hey, everybody. J.D.

Vance here. After the assassination of American political activist and commentator Charlie Kirk in September 2025, there followed widespread disciplinary and retaliatory actions against people seen as celebrating, justifying, or trivializing Kirk's death, encouraging further political... These efforts were promoted and directly engaged in by the U.S. federal government, with President Donald Trump explicitly condemning "the left" for the violence in his address to the nation in its immediate aftermath, and pledging to target left-wing groups and causes, monitor political speech,... On the night of Kirk's killing, the Department of State announced it would penalize foreigners considered to be "praising, rationalizing, or making light of Kirk's death".[1] Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced an investigation... Armed Forces, as well as subsequent firings and dismissals of those found to have made obscene or blasphemous comments about Kirk.

Commentary cited as reasons for firings and other reprisals included comments which openly celebrated Kirk's demise, spoke critically of his politics or political influence, or which appeared to justify Kirk's assassination through citing his... In some cases, criticizing the Republican Party's response to his killing—regarded by some as seeking to opportunistically capitalize on Kirk's death to target political enemies and engage in a broad crackdown on dissent against... Following Kirk's death, a number of prominent conservatives called for retaliation against or punishment of private citizens and government or military employees whose comments about Kirk were, in their view, likely to encourage additional... They also called for investigations into left-wing groups, universities, and the military for putative anti-Kirk speech. On The Charlie Kirk Show following his death, Vice President JD Vance called for people heard to make remarks deemed uncivil to Kirk to be reported to their employers for termination. Trump later announced that any network that criticized him too harshly could be subject to a revocation of their broadcast license.

Multiple analysts have regarded these efforts by the political right as a significant crackdown on political speech and dissent in the United States, and an effort to silence criticism of Kirk and the political... The response was criticized as a form of cancel culture, government censorship, and of bearing similarities to McCarthyism.[2][3] Charlie Kirk was an American right-wing influencer who founded Turning Point USA and hosted The Charlie Kirk Show. He was known for his debates on college campuses where he attempted to promote his conservative views to young audiences. His statements about topics such as LGBTQ+ individuals, the role of women in marriage, and race in the United States were controversial.[4][5][6] At a campaign event in Kentucky with Nate Morris in June 2025,... He told the crowd: "We're on the front lines where it's not always safe."[7]

On September 10, 2025, Kirk was engaged in one of his regular debates as part of his American Comeback Tour with college students at Utah Valley University—debating mass shootings in the United States committed... The vast majority of people on both sides of the political aisle condemned the murder; some who opposed Kirk's views celebrated, justified, or mocked his death. After the shooting, some users on Bluesky made posts glorifying or celebrating Kirk's killing—which in extreme cases incited further violence against other right-wing figures, several posting or reposting a meme that said "do Trump... This prompted the platform to issue a statement denouncing such posts. Other social media platforms including Meta, YouTube, and Reddit issued similar warnings to their users.[9]

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“While our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics are proud members of the far left,” Vice President JD Vance... 15. In the last five years, 54% of politically motivated murders were committed by right-wingers, versus 22% committed by left-wingers, according to a study by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. Ano...