On September 10th, during the first stop of Charlie Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University, Kirk was shot in the neck and pronounced dead shortly after. When the shooting occurred, Kirk was debating a college student about mass shootings in his well-known “prove me wrong” style of open-mic debate.
In the immediate aftermath of the event, politicians from both Republican and Democratic Parties were quick to condemn the shooter. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the act “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” and President Trump ordered flags across the nation to be at half-mast until Sunday, September 14th.
Kirk’s assasination has been called a “watershed moment” for American politics by many. Kirk founded the political organization Turning Point U.S.A. (TPUSA) when he was just 18 years old. In a matter of years, it had grown from obscurity to a fully-fledged political movement. TPUSA’s appeal to younger voters made Kirk a powerful player in the Republican Party.
Charlie Kirk’s death is but one in an increasing number of politically-motivated killings or attacks that have captivated media outlets in recent months. Brian Thompson, President Trump, and the Minnesota lawmakers in June being some prime examples. Despite this violence coming from both sides of the political spectrum, President Trump put the blame on “radical leftism” in his oval office address on Wednesday, September 10th, asking all Americans to “commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died.”
Kirk was a polarizing figure, and while there has been bipartisan shock and disdain, his legacy means different things to the right and left. “I think there is a certain amount of irony in [his death] due to his comments on gun violence,” Charlie Marshall ’27 told the Register Forum. Kirk met his end at the hands of the weapon that he had vehemently defended the use of. Kirk famously stated in 2023 that he thought “it’s worth it … to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every year so that we can have the second amendment.” On a similar note, Ella Colgan ’26 told the RF, “If anything, it’s just an ironic situation. I think the killing of the individual person himself isn’t as important as the overall theme of gun violence … I’m disgusted with the state of our country.” Eliana Ormeno ’26 added on, telling the RF, ” This says a lot about the situation with gun violence and gun security.” .
These reactions are largely representative of the sentiments from the left wing in the U.S. However, where democrats have pointed to this as a sign for increased gun control, many prominent republicans have characterized this as an attack on free speech and an example of “radical leftism.” Many far-right influencers have actually characterized Kirk’s death as a declaration of war, including Alex Jones, Steve Bannon, and conservative commentator Jesse Watters, who promised to “avenge Charlie’s death in the way that Charlie wanted to be avenged.” Others, including Trump, have called Kirk a “martyr” and a “patriot.”
In the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, grave divides have been sewn between millions of Americans. There was perhaps a short window in which this event could’ve become an opportunity for unity instead of divide—but many agree that window has already closed, with unrest rising on both sides of the political spectrum.
This article also appears in our September 2025 print edition.
