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Charlie Kirk S Murder Amplifies Safety Concerns Among Federal Npr

Bonisiwe Shabane
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charlie kirk s murder amplifies safety concerns among federal npr

Two weeks before a potential government shutdown, House Republicans unveiled legislation to fund the government through Nov. 21. Included in that proposal — $30 million for additional security. The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has got some federal lawmakers concerned about their own safety. Here's House Speaker Mike Johnson, who spoke to reporters on Tuesday. MIKE JOHNSON: The tragedy has also initiated a number of uncomfortable but necessary conversations about important issues, like the safety and security of our members and the responsibility of public servants.

MARTÍNEZ: House Republicans are proposing $30 million for congressional safety as part of a GOP-led bill to fund the government and to avoid a shutdown. Here's NPR congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt. BARBARA SPRUNT, BYLINE: Safety concerns among lawmakers have long been growing, and the recent murder of Charlie Kirk, a friend and counselor to many Republicans on the Hill, has Congress reeling. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who's running for governor in South Carolina, said she's making adjustments to her public schedule. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, left, speaks with Utah Valley University Chief of Police Jeff Long, right, at a press conference on the campus after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event Wednesday.

Hannah Schoenbaum/AP hide caption Charlie Kirk's assassination at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday has increased concerns about security and free speech on college campuses, and university police chiefs are thinking through what the shooting... The event drew about 3,000 people to an amphitheater-shaped space on campus, and authorities believe the fatal shot was fired from a rooftop overlooking the area. Six university police officers were assigned to the event, and Kirk had his own security detail. Some security experts told NPR the number of officers at the UVU event was not enough for an event of that size. And some attendees said the security presence felt minimal, noting that there were no bag checks as people entered.

NPR reached out to the university and its police force, as well as the Utah Department of Public Safety, but did not receive a response. "Any time you have this type of violence, it's a game-changer," says Richard Beary, who served for more than a decade as police chief at the University of Central Florida. He says there's no formula for staffing or security measures at events featuring controversial speakers. Instead, he says decisions depend on the level of risk. NPR's Scott Simon talks with political commentator Charlie Sykes about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and its effect on political discourse. A suspect has been arrested in Utah in the killing of Charlie Kirk.

He was shot Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University after answering a student's question about gun violence. At a press conference yesterday, Governor Spencer Cox of Utah said the shooting was more than an attack on one person. SPENCER COX: It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals. SIMON: Charlie Kirk's murder and reaction to it has many people fearful about what the future may hold for America and its ideals.

Our next guest is the political analyst and host of the "To The Contrary" podcast, Charlie Sykes, who joins us from Milwaukee. Charlie, thank you for being with us. SIMON: You and Charlie Kirk disagreed about a lot, but what were your thoughts when you heard about his shooting? People embrace in front of a memorial for Charlie Kirk at the Turning Point USA headquarters on September 12, 2025 in Phoenix. Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Wednesday in Utah. Eric Thayer/Getty Images hide caption

Over thirty people across the country have been fired, put on leave, investigated or faced calls to resign because of social media posts criticizing Charlie Kirk or expressing schadenfreude about the conservative influencer's assassination... And more may be to come: some GOP lawmakers and officials are signaling their readiness to punish people for their speech. Conservative activists are collecting and publicizing social media posts and profiles that they say "celebrated" his death and are calling for them to lose their jobs. "If they have their picture on their profile, even without a name, download the picture and reverse image search it," posted right-wing influencer Joey Mannarino. "Cross-reference it with their LinkedIn profile and find their place of employment. Call the place of employment, leave Google reviews."

Some Republican elected officials, along with right-wing influencers with large followings, including Laura Loomer and Libs of TikTok, the account run by activist Chaya Raichik, shared screenshots of offending posts and demanded action. Charlie Kirk is shown at the Republican National Convention in downtown Milwaukee, Wis., on July 17, 2024. Joel Angel Juarez/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption The killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk Wednesday at a college in Utah is the latest in a series of politically motivated violent acts just in recent months. And they have spanned the political spectrum: Those are only some of the incidents in just the past 14 months.

This is undoubtedly a time of tremendous political volatility. The shooter's motivation is not yet known, but Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA), an organization focused on younger voters and spreading conservative ideas, was a prominent figure in Trump world. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel arrives to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Sept. 16. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption In a combative hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill, FBI Director Kash Patel defended his leadership of the bureau, pushing back against allegations from Democrats that he is hollowing out the nation's premier law enforcement...

Patel's appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled weeks ago, but it comes just days after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and growing questions about Patel's ability to lead the bureau... The more than four-hour hearing frequently devolved into fiery outbursts from lawmakers and the FBI director. Democrats pressed Patel on a range of issues, including his firing of senior FBI officials and his handling of the investigative files of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Republicans, meanwhile, defended the director and his leadership and made sweeping allegations against the political left in America of conducting a campaign of violence. In his opening statement, Patel defended his tenure. Listen to the lead story from this episode.

Posters for civilians who were abducted from Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, are posted at the Hillel at UCLA in Los Angeles. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in a revival of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" Andy Henderson/DKC O&M hide caption President Trump delivers a speech as Britain's King Charles III looks on during a state banquet at Windsor Castle on September 17, 2025. Yui Mok/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Displaced Palestinians move with their belongings southwards on a road in the Nuseirat refugee camp area in the central Gaza Strip following renewed Israeli evacuation orders for Gaza City on September 16, 2025. Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images hide caption As news of the death of Charlie Kirk broke yesterday, conservative journalist Megyn Kelly was interviewing Glenn Beck, a prominent political commentator on the right. "There are news outlets reporting the worst now Glenn," Kelly said, choking back tears. "They're reporting that Charlie has died." "There's no way he survived that," said Beck of the bullet that struck Kirk in the neck as he spoke at a college campus in Utah.

He then began weeping. Across social media conservative influencers have exploded with a mix of grief and rage. Some mourned the loss of Kirk as a martyr, while others quickly blamed the left and Democrats for, at the very least, provoking the unknown shooter. Some went further still, suggesting without evidence that malevolent forces had orchestrated the killing. Their feelings were echoed by President Trump himself, who on Wednesday released a brief video that began by praising Kirk, before wheeling to attack. "For years those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murders and criminals," Trump said.

"This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today." The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has got some federal lawmakers concerned about their own safety. Here's House Speaker Mike Johnson, who spoke to reporters on Tuesday. MIKE JOHNSON: The tragedy has also initiated a number of uncomfortable but necessary conversations about important issues, like the safety and security of our members and the responsibility of public servants. MARTÍNEZ: House Republicans are proposing $30 million for congressional safety as part of a GOP-led bill to fund the government and to avoid a shutdown. Here's NPR congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt.

BARBARA SPRUNT, BYLINE: Safety concerns among lawmakers have long been growing, and the recent murder of Charlie Kirk, a friend and counselor to many Republicans on the Hill, has Congress reeling. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who's running for governor in South Carolina, said she's making adjustments to her public schedule. NANCY MACE: This is a terrifying time, and I'm not going to be terrorized, and I will be locked and loaded with one in the chamber because it's unsafe.

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