His Life was Controversial, His Death was Controversial

Name: George Foster

To say the United States is a polarized nation today would be a massive understatement, and it’s not hard to see why. No matter your beliefs, anyone can take in the fierce debates raging over political alignment, foreign policy, immigration, race, gender, laws, education, spending, medical care, etc. Ours is a decade marked by political debate and disagreement, and there are many stories and aspects to this rift. But politics isn’t just the ideas; it's the people that spread them, and there is a wealth of people that can be pointed to. For some people, the standouts are the politicians and presidents who embody these beliefs, such as the scandalous and questionable Donald Trump or the less intense but supposedly slow Joe Biden. For others, it is the news anchors who present them, such as Fox News’ Tucker Carlson or CNN’s Anderson Cooper. But today, with the widespread use of Social Media, it is the political commentator and activist who has risen to new heights. And while there are many famous members of this unofficial group, it is Charlie Kirk who has risen to attention today. For conservatives, he was a youthful face who was willing to challenge the new ideas of the left, a symbol of resistance. For progressives, he was a bigoted, hateful man who spread slander towards people based on race, religion, and gender, and backed the conspiracies of the spiteful right. But now, he has become one of the most famous people to die in a politically motivated assassination, and a rallying cry for his wounded compatriots.

The Rise of Kirk:

Born in 1993 in Chicago, Charlie’s foray into conservative politics began at a young age, penning an essay for a right-wing news company at 18, the topic being about school propaganda and indoctrination of students. Not long after, he met his mentor, Bill Montgomery. Despite being 50 years older, Montgomery worked with Kirk and helped him found Turning Point USA in 2012, an organization dedicated to spreading conservative ideas on college campuses.

The timing could not have been better for Kirk, as this was during the presidency of the definitely not conservative Barack Obama. Obama’s policies, along with a growing divide politically over issues such as gay rights, gave Kirk his opening. And soon, Kirk found the man who would promote him even further.

Kirk’s actions of spreading conservatism both on college campuses and through social media had won him a speaking place at the 2016 Republican National Convention, where he met Donald Trump. And after some hesitation, Kirk began to  him. Trump took this loyalty very well and appreciated Kirk’s efforts both in the 2016 election and in the following elections of 2020 and 2024 to not only debate and spread his influence but also reach out to donors for funding. Another powerful aspect of his work was  outreach to young male voters who had been more removed from the political process, efforts that seemingly succeeded in 2024 as the Democrats saw a decrease in young voter support during that election, while Republicans saw a marked increase. Kirk’s commitment extended to his views that the 2020 election was stolen, even bussing 80 people to a rally that would devolve into the Jan. 6 riot.

In the face of this commitment, Trump and his followers showed strong support for Kirk, with Trump Jr. saying, “There is no question that Charlie’s work and his voice helped my father win the presidency”. JD Vance, who Charlie had also helped promote in MAGA, underscored the administration's commitment to Kirk when he described Charlie's role in vetting new administration officials saying "He didn't just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government” in a tribute following Kirk’s death.

The Calculations of Kirk:

While it would be easy to assume that Charlie Kirk is a typical conservative and simply assume his views, that would be ignoring the fact that some of his beliefs, and his arguments for them are shocking and disgraceful, and extend far to the right of traditional  conservatives.

To begin Kirk had no issue with discriminating against groups such as LGBTQ+. He has famously decried LGBTQ+ as a “throbbing middle finger to God”, citing his distaste for the group with Leviticus 20:13 from the Bible, stating the standard “there are only two genders” mantra and even at one point calling for the burning of gay flags. Reportedly, it was TPUSA policy to have student followers identify professors for having incorrect “gender ideology.”

He also has an unsurprising distaste for Islam, arguing that the religion’s values on “conquest” and the “taking of land” were signs of the faith’s threat to America, while ignoring the similar long and warlike history of Christians. Recently, he made connections between the Democratic nominee for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the 9/11 attacks, saying, "now a similar form of that pernicious force is poised to capture City Hall.” 

In terms of his views on racial equality, he expressed his regret over the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Martin Luther King’s efforts to get the bill passed, saying that while he wants a colorblind society, the bill (which gave equal rights to many minorities) had put an unnecessary fixation on race. In the face of this, he also called out DEI measures as dangerous, with an infamous quote of “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.’”

Perhaps, after hearing all this, it also shouldn’t be shocking that he denounced climate change and was also a staunch supporter of free speech and gun rights. While free speech is hardly shocking, as it was the basis of his actions and debates, his views on gun control can come off as ironic, as he argued that deaths from gun violence were a small price to pay to ensure the safety of US citizens and the 2nd amendment.

Kirk’s Catastrophe and the Rights Retribution:

On September 10th, 2025, Kirk was shot while giving one of his infamous debates to students of Utah Valley University, the topic ironically being gun ownership. The shooter, Tyler Robinson, reportedly killed Kirk with a shot through the neck using a bolt-action rifle. Several bullets were inscribed with messages such as “Hey Fascist! Catch!” or “If you Read This, You Are GAY LMAO” . Robinson's reasoning was, in his own words, “I had enough of his hatred”, with his own mother reporting he had become more left-leaning in ideology over the years. Currently, Utah County prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder and are aiming to give him the death penalty.

While there was mourning over the assassination from both ends of the political spectrum, many from the right, including the White House, also expressed a desire for revenge on the “radical left” that they blame for Kirk’s death. Trump himself declared that he would like to classify a large range of groups, such as Antifa, as domestic terror organizations. This is a seeming dismissal of right-wing terror organizations, which, according to institutions such as the Center for Strategic and Internal Studies, are responsible for more attacks and violence than left-wing organizations, a notable example being the January 6th riots. Trump dismisses these arguments, explaining that such organizations simply don’t want crime.

Trump was not alone, however, as Stephen Miller, his Deputy Chief of Staff, declared, “With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks and make America safe again for the American people. It will happen, and we will do it in Charlie’s name.” Vice President JD Vance, who actually hosted the Charlie Kirk Show from the White House following Kirk’s assassination, stated that it would be the government's goal to target the left-leaning groups that “foment, facilitate and engage in violence.”

In the face of this, there was backlash, with a notable example coming from former President Barack Obama who, while speaking at moderated event in Erie, Pa, stated that he believed that while Charlie’s death was a horrific tragedy, he also believed that Trump’s attacks on rivals were sowing further dissent and ran contrary to Kirk’s beliefs on debate, especially since many of Kirk’s beliefs were and still are controversial. Furthermore, when late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel stated that the right was desperate to portray Tyler Robinson as anything other than one of them, his show was quickly suspended indefinitely by ABC. The incident saw criticism from many, including Steven Colbert, another talk show host whose show was also canceled by Paramount, seemingly in an attempt to appease Trump.

Conclusion and Personal Thoughts:

Charlie Kirk’s death was undoubtedly a tragedy, and while he did say several disrespectful things, that doesn’t justify his death. However, in many ways, any chance for both the left and right to mourn him was quickly killed after the Trump administration attacked suspected perpetrators and the seemingly silenced criticism aimed at a man who ironically argued for the existence of such debate.

Works Cited

Ahn, Ashley, and Maxine Joselow. "Where Charlie Kirk Stood on Key Political Issues." The New York Times [New York City], 11 Sept. 2025. The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/us/charlie-kirk-views-guns-gender-climate.html. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.

Brooks, Emily. "Right adopts take-no-prisoners approach to 'radical left' after Charlie Kirk killing." The Hill [Washington D.C.], 16 Sept. 2025. The Hill, thehill.com/newsletters/the-movement/5504739-charlie-kirk-killing-conservative-response/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.

Edsall, Thomas B. "'We Will Do It in Charlie's Name.'" The New York Times [New York City], 16 Sept. 2025. The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/opinion/trump-charlie-kirk-crackdown.html. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.

Pager, Tyler. "After Kirk's Killing, Obama Says the Nation Is in a 'Political Crisis.'" The New York Times [New York City], 17 Sept. 2025. The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/us/politics/obama-trump-kirk-unity.html. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.

Peters, Jeremy W., et al. "Kirk Killing Suspect Faces Aggravated Murder Charge, and Death Penalty." The New York Times [New York City], 20 Sept. 2025. The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09/16/us/kirk-shooting-suspect-charges. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.

Smith, Allan. "How Charlie Kirk rose from a teenage activist to a MAGA star." NBC News [New York City], 15 Sept. 2025. NBC News, www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/charlie-kirk-rose-teenage-activist-maga-star-rcna230943. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.

Summerland, Joe. "Where Charlie Kirk stood on guns, the LGBT+ community and the future of the United States." The Independent [London], 11 Sept. 2025. The Independent, www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/charlie-kirk-political-views-guns-lgbt-trump-b2824580.html. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.

Wendling, Mike, and Bernd Debusmann Jr. "How a college dropout from the suburbs became Maga star Charlie Kirk." BBC [London], 12 Sept. 2025. BBC, www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33r4kjez6no. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.

Youngs, Zolan Kanno, and Katie Rogers. "White House Plans Broad Crackdown on Liberal Groups." The New York Times [New York City], 15 Sept. 2025. The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/us/politics/jd-vance-charlie-kirk-show.html. Accessed 20 Sept. 2025.