Charlie Kirk Assassination: Condemning Political Violence
The murder of the TPUSA founder is a chilling reminder that political violence threatens democracy itself. It must be rejected.
I am uncertain whether this article will achieve its intended outcome. Quite frankly, after the recent assassination of Conservative commentator and TPUSA founder, Charlie Kirk, it seems as though we are at a point where words have lost their power. Nonetheless, I feel obligated to address the horrific murder and the dangers that come with it. To put it simply, there is no world where what happened on Wednesday can be excused or justified. Political violence must be condemned.
To appreciate the gravity of the situation, it is important to understand the events thus far.
What Happened?
On September 10, 2025, Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University while hosting his “Prove Me Wrong” table as part of the American Comeback tour. At approximately 12:20 PM, a gunman fired a shot that struck Kirk in the neck. He was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead.
The shooter's identity remains unknown, although the DOJ has released images of a person of interest. The shooter remains at large, and no motive has been determined.
Why This Matters
As much as I wish it weren't the case, political violence is a growing threat that we can't ignore. This is not the first time that I have condemned violence against right-wing politicians —I have previously condemned the attempts against President Trump—and I sincerely doubt it will be the last.
What is disturbing to me is not only the brutality of Kirk's passing, but also the frequency of the violence itself. Just a few months ago, Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota were targeted in a shooting at their homes. Representative Melissa Hortman, the former Speaker of the Minnesota House, was killed along with her husband. Thankfully, Senator John Hoffman and his wife survived, although they were gravely injured.
The Justice Department's statement on the shooting makes clear that the shooter, Vance Boelter, 57, was targeting abortion activists and Democratic officials, and these attacks "were targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota." It was yet another targeted attack that damaged the fabric of our democracy.
Again and again, the alarm bells are going off that these kinds of attacks are becoming increasingly prevalent. It must end. If we are to speak freely and safely, we must resolve our conflicts without violence. Not merely for moral reasons, although those reasons should be enough, but also for the stability of our society. It doesn't simply end with one man; it continues unless we make it stop.
It remains unclear why Charlie Kirk was shot or who did it, but what is clear is that we can't continue on our current path. As I have argued before, silence in the face of violence will not create a healthier or more stable democracy. It will only encourage more hostility and more bloodshed.
Revenge and cyclical violence are not the answer. Cooperation is.
References
Anderson, Meg, Russell Lewis, and Rachel Treisman. 2025. “The Suspect in the Shooting of 2 Minnesota Lawmakers Had a ‘hit List’ of 45 Officials.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/16/nx-s1-5433748/minnesota-shooting-suspect-vance-boelter-arrested-melissa-hortman-john-hoffman (September 11, 2025).
Anderson, Meg, and Avie Schneider. 2025. “Suspect Named in Targeted Shootings of Minnesota Lawmakers.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/14/nx-s1-5433645/minnesota-state-legislators-lawmaker-shootings (September 11, 2025).
Forrester, Megan, David Brennan, and Meredith Deliso. 2025. “Video Shows Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Jump down from Roof, Make Getaway.” ABC News. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/more-images-released-of-person-of-interest-amid-manhunt-for-charlie-kirks-killer/ar-AA1MkHUF?ocid=BingNewsSerp (September 11, 2025).
Kelly, Conor J. 2025a. “Another Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump: What We Know.” The Progressive American Report. https://www.progressiveamerican.net/p/another-attempted-assassination-of-former-president-trump-what-we-know-cf05897818a2 (September 11, 2025).
Kelly, Conor J. 2025b. “The Attempt on Trump’s Life Is Unacceptable.” The Progressive American Report. https://www.progressiveamerican.net/p/the-attempt-on-trumps-life-is-unacceptable-cfb22262e6f9 (September 11, 2025).
“Manhunt for Suspect in Political Assassination Rattles Minnesota - The New York Times.” https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/14/us/minnesota-shootings#minnesota-shootings-politicians (September 11, 2025).
“Office of Public Affairs | After Two-Day Manhunt, Suspect Charged with Shooting Two Minnesota Lawmakers and Their Spouses | United States Department of Justice.” 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/after-two-day-manhunt-suspect-charged-shooting-two-minnesota-lawmakers-and-their-spouses (September 11, 2025).
Radford, Antoinette, Adrienne Vogt, Michelle Watson, Rebekah Reiss, Danya Gainor, and Brad Lendon. 2025. “Manhunt Underway after Minnesota Democratic House Leader Killed in ‘Politically Motivated’ Attack.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-shootings-manhunt-06-14-25 (September 11, 2025).
Salhotra, Pooja, Yan Zhuang, Isabella Kwai, and Michael Levenson. 2025. “What We Know About the Charlie Kirk Shooting and Search for a Suspect.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/us/charlie-kirk-death-shooting-suspect.html (September 11, 2025).
Stock, Eric. 2025. “Illinois Elected Leaders Decry Killing of Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk.” NPR Illinois. https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois/2025-09-10/illinois-elected-leaders-decry-killing-of-conservative-activist-charlie-kirk (September 11, 2025).
👍 we’ll said ! Amen.