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Politics Chat Assassination Of Charlie Kirk And The Rise Of Political

Bonisiwe Shabane
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politics chat assassination of charlie kirk and the rise of political

We look at the political fallout of Charlie Kirk's assassination, as well as the possibility of a government shutdown as Congress considers President Trump's budget. The assassination of right-wing youth leader Charlie Kirk last week has once again shifted focus onto political violence and the increasing polarization in American society. Here's Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox speaking to the press on Friday. SPENCER COX: To my young friends out there, you are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option. But through those words, we have a reminder that we can choose a different path.

RASCOE: We're now joined by NPR senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Good morning, Mara. MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: Good morning, Ayesha. A majority of Democrats, Independents and Republicans agree that “extremist political rhetoric” contributed to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to a new poll. The survey from NBC News found that 54% of Democrats agree that extreme rhetoric from “some in the media and by political leaders” was a major factor in Kirk’s killing. An overwhelming majority of Republicans, 73%, expressed the same sentiment, while 53% of Independents agreed.

Across all respondents, 61% of Americans said they believe rhetoric contributed to Kirk’s death. Meanwhile, 28% said they believed Kirk’s killing was caused more by the lone actions of a disturbed individual than the broader political climate. Another 4% said it was a combination of the two. The poll marks the first time in 15 years of NBC News polling that majorities of all major American political groups agree that extreme rhetoric was a major factor in causing a violent incident. Wide-open gun culture and hyper-polarization are bringing the “years of lead” to the USA. Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept.

10, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old right-wing activist who led Turning Point USA, in Utah on Wednesday was horrifying and upsetting. Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University. His death was confirmed hours later by President Donald Trump and others. He was the father of two young children. Yet, as shocking as Kirk’s killing was, the fact that there was this kind of assassination is sadly not that unexpected.

After all, America is awash in violence, political or otherwise, every day of the year. Responding to the initial reports of the shooting, Representative Jaime Raskin wrote: “Condemning another absolutely disgraceful act of gun violence.” The word “another” captures the disturbing truth of the news: Gun violence, whether in... This violence is a product of a political system that refuses to implement gun control even as the social fabric frays. The killing of Charlie Kirk and the political violence haunting America, the deadly ‘kissing bug’ disease spreading across the U.S., and more Charlie Kirk was doing what he so often did—working a college crowd, prodding and provoking students in debate. The 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA was at Utah Valley University near Salt Lake City on Sept.

10, surrounded by thousands of students gathered in an outdoor courtyard. It was the first stop of Kirk’s fall campus tour, and he was seated beneath a tent emblazoned with the words “The American Comeback.” Kirk became a star in these settings. Since founding his right-wing advocacy organization at 18, he proved peerless at channeling youthful discontent into political energy, shaping a movement with national reach. As Kirk fielded questions from the audience, a shot rang out, striking him in the neck. Panicked students scattered. Kirk was rushed to the hospital.

Grisly footage of the shooting rocketed across social media. Inside the West Wing, staff sat in shocked silence, scrolling to see the latest updates of news on their phones and messages on their computer screens. At 4:40 p.m., Trump announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social. “No one,” the President wrote, “understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.” He leaves behind a wife and two young children. Click here to buy your copy of this issue In recent years, the prospect of a political assassination such as this, carried out before a stunned crowd in broad daylight, has hung over a nation riven by factional fury.

Elected officials whispered about it in green rooms and on campaign buses. When the moment arrived, it unfolded with chilling precision: a campus stage, a microphone, a single burst of gunfire. Where it will lead now is an ominous question with no obvious answers. Arie Perliger, The Conversation Arie Perliger, The Conversation Alfonso Serrano, The Conversation Alfonso Serrano, The Conversation The fatal shooting of prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sept.

10, 2025, has brought renewed attention to the climate of political violence in America. Kirk’s death reflects a sizable increase in threats against officeholders and politicians at the local and federal level. Alfonso Serrano, a politics editor at The Conversation, spoke with University of Massachusetts Lowell scholar Arie Perliger after Kirk’s shooting. Perliger studies political violence and assassinations and spoke bluntly about political polarization in the United States. ALFONSO SERRANO: What were your initial thoughts after Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting? A photo of President Donald Trump is seen at a growing memorial for Charlie Kirk outside Timpanogos Regional Hospital after Kirk was shot and killed Sept.

10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP) The assassination of Charlie Kirk stunned first the audience at Utah Valley University, where he was shot while speaking Sept. 10, and then the country, as footage of his killing quickly spread. For many Americans, the conservative influencer’s death crystallized a growing fear: The United States is experiencing more and more political violence. Kirk, 31, had the ear of both everyday Americans and the most powerful people in the United States.

He founded Turning Point USA, a conservative organization focused on young people, when he was 18. Until he was fatally shot in the neck during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University, Kirk was close to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Kirk’s assassination followed numerous recent instances of political violence. In 2025 alone, Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot; an arsonist set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s residence with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family inside; an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was shot and injured outside a detention facility in Texas; the New Mexico Republican Party headquarters was set on fire; and a...

The deadly shooting of right-wing activist and Chicago-area native Charlie Kirk marks a pivotal moment amid a rising threat of political violence in America, experts say. NBC Chicago’s JC Navarrete has the latest. The deadly shooting of right-wing activist and Chicago-area native Charlie Kirk marks a pivotal moment amid a rising threat of political violence in America, experts say. Kirk died at 31-years-old after he was shot while presenting at Utah Valley University Wednesday, officials said. Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are. A suburban Chicago native and supporter of President Donald Trump, Kirk is the founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, a right-wing political organization that focuses on motivating young people to be politically...

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We look at the political fallout of Charlie Kirk's assassination, as well as the possibility of a government shutdown as Congress considers President Trump's budget. The assassination of right-wing youth leader Charlie Kirk last week has once again shifted focus onto political violence and the increasing polarization in American society. Here's Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox speaking to th...

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Across all respondents, 61% of Americans said they believe rhetoric contributed to Kirk’s death. Meanwhile, 28% said they believed Kirk’s killing was caused more by the lone actions of a disturbed individual than the broader political climate. Another 4% said it was a combination of the two. The poll marks the first time in 15 years of NBC News polling that majorities of all major American politic...

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10, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old right-wing activist who led Turning Point USA, in Utah on Wednesday was horrifying and upsetting. Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University. His death was confirmed hours later by President Donald Trump and others. He was the father of two young children. Yet, as shocking as Kirk’s killing was, the fact t...

After All, America Is Awash In Violence, Political Or Otherwise,

After all, America is awash in violence, political or otherwise, every day of the year. Responding to the initial reports of the shooting, Representative Jaime Raskin wrote: “Condemning another absolutely disgraceful act of gun violence.” The word “another” captures the disturbing truth of the news: Gun violence, whether in... This violence is a product of a political system that refuses to implem...