Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political activist and a supporter of President Donald Trump, was shot dead in Utah on September 10th. He was best known for being the co-founder of Turning Point USA, an organisation that shares conservative beliefs with the youth in America. Kirk was constantly in debates with students all over the US, but also abroad, with stints of debating in Oxford and Cambridge in the UK. His discussions on topics like immigration, abortion, and transgenderism encouraged Gen Z youths to sway towards his ideologies and beliefs, bolstered by his platform on social media, allowing him to reach a wider audience than most politicians could.
A suspect was detained moments after Kirk’s shooting but was later released, charged with obstruction of justice. President Trump, speaking at the memorial event for the September 11, 2001 attacks, memorialised Kirk, saying, “Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.” On the 12th of September, Tyler Robinson, identified as the prime suspect, was arrested in Washington, Utah. His motivation for murdering Kirk still seems to be unclear; however, reports indicate political frustrations were a key motive.
The death of Charlie Kirk has exposed political divisions and blurred moral lines as President Trump, in a speech in the Oval Office, said, “We have to beat the hell out of radical left lunatics.” This led to added confusion and condemnation from the wider public, including from late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel criticised Trump’s response on his late-night show, saying, “This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.” Kimmel’s show was there after being banned by the network, which was lifted a few days later. This only clarified the divisions brought about by Kirk’s murder, with critics detesting the administration’s “crackdown on free speech”.
