Some liberal politicians and pundits used Kirk’s assassination to blame President Trump for a “hyper-partisan environment.”
Turning Point USA founder and conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on September 10 during his American Comeback Tour event at Utah Valley University. Kirk, 31, was about 20 minutes into the event and taking audience questions when a bullet from a high-caliber rifle struck him in the neck from roughly 200 yards away. He died several hours later at a hospital, leaving behind his wife, two infant children, and millions of supporters nationwide.
Police have not yet apprehended the suspected shooter, but said the recovered ammunition carried messages referencing anti-fascist and transgender ideology. Kirk’s death came just two weeks after a transgender individual killed two children in a Minneapolis school shooting.
Republican politicians and prominent conservatives paid tribute to Kirk, who was close friends with President Trump and Vice President Vance. Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Gov. Spencer Cox, and figures including Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., Ron DeSantis, Kristi Noem, and Mitt Romney praised Kirk as widely respected. President Trump ordered flags at the White House to be flown at half-staff and will award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
Reactions from some Democratic politicians and liberal media figures were mixed. MSNBC’s Matthew Dowd condemned Kirk for inciting what he called “hate speech” and suggested he was not assassinated but instead killed by a supporter “shooting off their gun in celebration.” MSNBC later fired Dowd and issued an apology.
Other Democrats heckled House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Lauren Boebert during a moment of silence on the House floor, shortly before news broke that Kirk had died. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned the violence but offered no personal remarks about Kirk, instead blaming lack of gun control for his death. She later canceled an event of her own citing “safety concerns.”
Transgender comedian Brandy Bryant mocked Kirk’s death on social media, writing, “Breaking: Charlie Kirk loses gun debate.” When criticized, Bryant claimed Kirk “deserved” to die because “these people openly get off talking about eradicating trans people.” Liberal pundit Van Jones, who had recently accused Kirk’s podcast of “race-mongering,” joined others in suggesting that Kirk’s rhetoric fostered political violence.
In response to questions about whether Democrats should tone down their rhetoric, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren blamed President Trump for the violence, despite Trump himself surviving an assassination attempt in July 2024.
Kirk—often labeled a “fascist,” “racist,” and “radical transphobe” by political rivals—has been hailed as a martyr by many since his death. MSNBC also criticized President Trump for using the term “radical left” in a speech that addressed not only Kirk’s death but the growing threat of political violence from the left-wing, including the attempt on Trump’s own life, several school shootings, and the December murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
