University of Kwazulu-Natal

Kirk Killing Leaves Vacuum For Maga Outside Enforcers Axios

Bonisiwe Shabane
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kirk killing leaves vacuum for maga outside enforcers axios

Charlie Kirk's assassination has dealt a significant blow to MAGA's ability to pressure Washington and the Republican Party from outside the White House. Why it matters: The right-wing media ecosystem is vast, with several figures wielding large audiences. But few can channel grassroots anger into real fear of primary challenges — the kind of pressure that shapes lawmakers' behavior. Driving the news: MAGA media functions like an information army. President Trump is the commander-in-chief, while Kirk — along with figures like Donald Trump Jr. and Steve Bannon — served as a top general.

Kirk's record was not perfect: He lobbied Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to support Ed Martin as Trump's pick to be U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, but Tillis refused (though he also decided not to seek re-election.) Zoom out: Kirk derived his power from his close proximity to Trump. 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.”

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Charlie Kirk's Assassination Has Dealt A Significant Blow To MAGA's

Charlie Kirk's assassination has dealt a significant blow to MAGA's ability to pressure Washington and the Republican Party from outside the White House. Why it matters: The right-wing media ecosystem is vast, with several figures wielding large audiences. But few can channel grassroots anger into real fear of primary challenges — the kind of pressure that shapes lawmakers' behavior. Driving the n...

Kirk's Record Was Not Perfect: He Lobbied Sen. Thom Tillis

Kirk's record was not perfect: He lobbied Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to support Ed Martin as Trump's pick to be U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, but Tillis refused (though he also decided not to seek re-election.) Zoom out: Kirk derived his power from his close proximity to Trump. Charlie Kirk speaks at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2022.Brian Cahn/ZUMA Wednesday’s fatal shooting of co...

But While Many Simply Expressed Their Grief For Kirk And

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 conspi...