Social Media Is Splitting Views Of Charlie Kirk S Death Npr

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 5:33 PM

social media is splitting views of charlie kirk s death npr

Crime scene tape surrounds the perimeter of Utah Valley University after Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed , Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Orem, Utah. Social media is promoting different views of why the shooter acted. Lindsey Wasson/AP hide caption When Vice President Vance hosted an episode of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's podcast on Monday, he blamed an "incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism" for Kirk's assasination. That same night, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel said the "MAGA gang" was desperately trying to characterize the killer as "anything other than one of them." Kimmel was suspended indefinitely for his comments, raising...

The disparate statements from the conservative vice president and the liberal talk show host revealed a troubling fact: there is a deep schism in how Americans understand the assassination that took place a little... Black tape crosses out a Mickey Mouse T-shirt during a demonstration in response to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show outside of The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif. Kimmel's comments about the shooter sparked an outcry on the political right. Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption That gap is being widened by social media.

More than half of U.S. adults now get their news sometimes or often from social media platforms, and those platforms are fragmenting how Americans view what's happening. Crime scene tape surrounds the perimeter of Utah Valley University after Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed , Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Orem, Utah. Social media is promoting different views of why the shooter acted. When Vice President Vance hosted an episode of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s podcast on Monday, he blamed an “incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism” for Kirk’s assasination.

That same night, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel said the “MAGA gang” was desperately trying to characterize the killer as “anything other than one of them.” Kimmel was suspended indefinitely for his comments, raising... The disparate statements from the conservative vice president and the liberal talk show host revealed a troubling fact: there is a deep schism in how Americans understand the assassination that took place a little... Black tape crosses out a Mickey Mouse T-shirt during a demonstration in response to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show outside of The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif. Kimmel's comments about the shooter sparked an outcry on the political right. That gap is being widened by social media. More than half of U.S.

adults now get their news sometimes or often from social media platforms, and those platforms are fragmenting how Americans view what’s happening. Charlie Kirk’s mastery of social media was key to him becoming a force in conservative politics. Social media has become the town square for increasingly strident debate and the forum for which conservatives have sought to punish people they feel aren’t offering Kirk the proper respect. American flags and flowers are displayed at a memorial for Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Jesse Bedayn)

This combination of photos from 2017 to 2022 shows the logos of Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat on mobile devices. (AP Photo, File) Volunteers from Maitry Nepal clean police station which was vandalized during anti-corruption protests sparked by a short-lived social media ban in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) Charlie Kirk’s mastery of social media was key to his rise as an influence in conservative politics.

So the extent to which his death and its aftermath have played out on those forums shouldn’t come as a surprise. Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of the conservative political group Turning Point USA and staunch supporter of Donald Trump, was fatally shot at a public event before hundreds of people at Utah Valley University,... News organizations like Euronews have been cautious with the coverage of Kirk’s assassination, electing to not show the moment he was shot. However, in the era of social media, it didn’t matter much. The gory video of the shooting was available almost instantly online – gaining thousands of views on X, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube - even on Truth Social, where President Donald Trump posted official word of... Trump wrote online: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead.

No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!" Social media feeds were flooded with posts calling for the typical thoughts and prayers, as well as heartfelt messages for Kirk’s wife and his children, from both the right and the left. 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. His death is again spurring conversation around political violence in America — and what can be done about it. It's a complicated question without simple solutions.

Conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk has died. President Trump announced his death after Kirk was shot at a college campus in Utah. The president has ordered flags to fly at half-staff to mark Kirk's death. Kirk helped usher in an age of in-your-face conservative politics, especially for young voters. NPR's Stephen Fowler joins us now. Hi.

SUMMERS: So Stephen, having the president order flags to half-staff, that's something traditionally done in times of mourning. Tell us, what kind of relationship did Kirk have with President Trump? FOWLER: Yeah, so flags are at half-staff. Think instances like the death of former President Jimmy Carter and other national tragedies. And this is because Charlie Kirk was somebody who was close to President Trump and was a trusted voice for the administration, particularly speaking for and about young people. Trump announcing Kirk's death on social media said, quote, "no one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie."

SUMMERS: Let's take a step back here, if we can. What can you tell us about Kirk's appearance at today's event there in Utah? FOWLER: He was speaking at Utah Valley University. It was the first stop of 15 planned American Comeback Tour events at college campuses around the country. Kirk was well-known as an energizing speaker and organizer focused on young conservatives, getting them registered to vote, getting them involved in their local Republican politics and really activating a key demographic for a... He was one of the most influential voices in the GOP, with a popular podcast and video show that regularly influenced policy discussions and how they were talked about both inside and outside of...

When Vice President Vance hosted an episode of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's podcast on Monday, he blamed an "incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism" for Kirk's assasination. That same night, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel said the "MAGA gang" was desperately trying to characterize the killer as "anything other than one of them." Kimmel was suspended indefinitely for his comments, raising... The disparate statements from the conservative vice president and the liberal talk show host revealed a troubling fact: there is a deep schism in how Americans understand the assassination that took place a little... That gap is being widened by social media. More than half of U.S. adults now get their news sometimes or often from social media platforms, and those platforms are fragmenting how Americans view what's happening.

American politics has long been home to conspiracies and even fracturings of understanding around events, said Nicole Hemmer, a professor of history at Vanderbilt University. "What's new is the speed at which all of this is shared, the ease of access that people have to it, and the algorithmic push," she said.

Social Media Is Splitting Views Of Charlie Kirk S Death Npr

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