In the wake of a shocking and violent episode that has gripped the nation, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and one of the most influential right-wing activists in the United States, was shot and killed during a question-and-answer session at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. The assassination, which took place as Kirk was fielding questions about transgender politics and mass shootings from students, has thrown a spotlight on the volatile state of American political discourse and the deep divisions that continue to define it.
Authorities have yet to identify a suspect in Kirk’s killing, and as of September 11, 2025, the investigation remains ongoing. The circumstances surrounding the assassination have fueled a wave of speculation and finger-pointing across the political spectrum, with emotions running high and facts still emerging. According to reporting from Common Dreams and The New York Times, the incident is just one in a string of distressing acts of political violence that have left Americans questioning the future of the country’s democracy and civility.
In a televised speech delivered soon after Kirk was declared dead, former President Donald Trump seized on the tragedy to launch a broadside against his political opponents, blaming the Left for the killing despite the lack of any evidence regarding the assassin’s identity or motives. “For years, those on the radical Left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now,” Trump declared, according to Common Dreams. The former president’s remarks, which listed attacks on conservative figures but omitted any mention of violence against Democrats, were widely seen as an attempt to stoke further division at a moment of national mourning.
Not to be outdone, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) quickly laid blame at the feet of Democrats, telling reporters, “Democrats own what happened today…some raging leftist lunatic put a bullet through his neck.” Like Trump, Mace offered no evidence for her claims, prompting criticism from across the political spectrum for her “profoundly reckless, irresponsible attack,” as described by Common Dreams. In the absence of clear facts about the perpetrator or the motive, such rhetoric has only deepened the sense of unease and polarization that characterized Kirk’s own political career.
Kirk’s legacy is a complex and deeply controversial one. As the founder of Turning Point USA, he was a central figure in rallying young conservatives and shaping the hard-right youth movement on key political issues. His activism extended to the founding of TPUSA Faith in 2021, a branch of his organization dedicated to uniting churches against what he called “wokeism.” According to The New York Times, Kirk’s positions on gender identity, gun rights, race, and religion made him a lightning rod for both support and criticism.
On issues of gender identity and LGBTQ rights, Kirk was a vocal opponent. He appealed to conservative Christians who feared the growing acceptance of LGBTQ individuals in American society, encouraging students and parents to report professors suspected of “embracing gender ideology.” He campaigned vigorously against gender-affirming care, stating, “We must ban trans-affirming care—the entire country. Donald Trump needs to run on this issue,” as reported by Media Matters and cited in Common Dreams.
Gun rights were another cornerstone of Kirk’s activism. At a 2023 event hosted by TPUSA Faith, he defended the Second Amendment as essential for protecting Americans from tyranny, even acknowledging the tragic cost of gun violence. “I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights,” Kirk said, according to The New York Times. He advocated for arming more Americans, arguing, “If our money and our sporting events and our airplanes have armed guards, why don’t our children?”
When it came to matters of race, Kirk’s views were frequently denounced as racist. He called the 1964 Civil Rights Act a “mistake” and an “anti-white weapon,” blaming the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for its passage and describing King as “awful.” Kirk’s opposition to affirmative action was equally strident, as he disparaged Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as a “diversity hire” and questioned the qualifications of Black professionals. In 2024, he remarked, “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified,’” a statement that drew widespread condemnation for its overt racism.
Kirk’s rhetoric extended to attacks on other communities as well. He was accused of antisemitism by critics and even some allies, promoting the so-called “replacement theory”—a conspiracy theory alleging that Jews are orchestrating the replacement of white Americans with nonwhite immigrants. In a 2023 episode of his show, Kirk asserted, “The philosophical foundation of anti-whiteness has been largely financed by Jewish donors in the country.” He went on to claim, “It’s not just the colleges—it’s the nonprofits, it’s the movies, it’s Hollywood, it’s all of it.” Despite these statements, Kirk was a vocal supporter of Israel, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned him as “a lionhearted friend of Israel who stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization.”
Islamophobic remarks also featured prominently in Kirk’s public statements. He called Islam a danger to the United States and linked Muslim politician Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary to the 9/11 attacks, saying, “America’s largest city was attacked by radical Islam 24 years ago, and now a similar form of that pernicious force is poised to capture city hall.” Such comments drew accusations of bigotry and were widely condemned by civil rights groups and political opponents alike.
Kirk’s advocacy for free speech was often cited by his supporters, with Turning Point USA known for its campus free speech campaigns and the controversial “Professor Watchlist,” which encouraged students to report left-leaning professors. Critics, however, called out what they saw as hypocrisy, arguing that Kirk’s version of free speech was selective and punitive toward those with whom he disagreed.
On the issue of climate change, Kirk was a staunch skeptic. He frequently dismissed concerns about global warming, telling members of Turning Point UK in December 2024 that climate change was “complete gibberish, nonsense and balderdash.” His podcast often featured guests who echoed these views, further aligning him with the segment of the conservative movement that rejects mainstream climate science.
As the investigation into Kirk’s assassination continues, the nation finds itself grappling with the poisonous stew of anger, fear, and division that Kirk both embodied and, in many ways, helped to create. While millions mourn his death, others are left to reckon with the legacy of bigotry and rage that marked his career. The question now is whether America can find a way to cool the flames of hatred and violence, or whether the divisions that Kirk so effectively exploited will continue to spiral.
For now, the country waits—hoping for answers, justice, and perhaps a measure of peace in a time of profound uncertainty.