The assassination of Charlie Kirk sparked a controversy across the nation.
On September 10, Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA co-founder, was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University as part of his “American Comeback” tour. Kirk was shot in the neck, driven to the hospital and pronounced dead shortly after. On September 13, an arrest of suspect Tyler Robinson was made.
Following Kirk’s death, the nation erupted as starkly opposing views were shared all over social media. Political conservatives and groups mourned the loss of the activist. Vigils were held at universities, cities and in his hometown of Arlington Heights, Illinois. President Donald Trump shared a video on Truth Social, saying, “I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
Some reactions to his death on popular social media platforms such as Instagram, X and Facebook were celebratory, while others criticized the celebrations. Many Democrats, most notably former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama, stated that, despite not being aligned in political views, political violence has no place in the nation.
The mixed reactions caused a controversy between viewpoints on what the appropriate response was, with some saying celebrations of political violence show the cruelty of the nation, while others saying that mourning Kirk is not representative of the beliefs of the entire nation. Attacks on social media criticized the opposing reaction equally.
Comments made by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” resulted in the show being removed from ABC “indefinitely” following criticism and public pressure from Trump Administration officials. President Donald Trump reacted to the decision positively and in full support. This raised the question of censorship in the media: Does ABC have the right to stop a show indefinitely based on a script? The debate as to whether or not this decision is a positive or negative one has continued through the show’s reinstatement a week later.
Censorship has also been seen in other parts of the murder. Just minutes after the shooting, the graphic video could be found on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. News organizations decided to censor the gory details when covering the event.
Between the censorship of the videos and the suspension of Kimmel’s show, Americans are caught at a crossroads as to whether the First Amendment is being followed or if censorship is taking over. California Governor Gavin Newsom says censorship is taking place — President Trump has fought against these allegations.
At the same time, Evergreen High School in Colorado experienced a school shooting. 16-year-old Desmond Holly shot two classmates, leaving them in critical condition at hospitals nearby. Holly then shot himself.
The coverage across all media platforms on the Evergreen shooting was substantially less than that of Kirk’s death. Once again, Kirk’s death sparked another discussion on social media as to the relative importance of the simultaneous events.
More recently, teachers have been fired, put on leave or suspended from their jobs for posting comments about Charlie Kirk on private and public social media accounts. Notably, Suzanne Swierc, the Director of Health and Advocacy at Ball State University, was fired after her Facebook post went public and viral. Her post read, “If you think Charlie Kirk was a wonderful person, we can’t be friends.” This led to her being threatened and later fired from her job. On September 22, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against Geoffrey Mearns, Ball State’s university president. The case argues on Swierc’s behalf that her termination was a violation of her First Amendment rights.
Swierc’s story is not an individual one, as more than 145 people have been fired or face disciplinary consequences nationwide after posting reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death on personal accounts.
Kirk’s death continues to ignite controversial conversations around the nation.