Staff Reports
On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, a tireless organizer for conservative youth and the face of a movement that helped revitalize our party on campuses, was gunned down while speaking at Utah Valley University. The country watched in horror as video of the attack circulated, and law enforcement quickly launched a manhunt that led to arrests and charges in the days after the killing. This was not a political debate gone wrong; it was an assassination that targeted a public conservative voice and left a void in the fight to defend free speech on campus.
Within hours the nation grieved, and a rare moment of shared sorrow could have been an opportunity for unity. Instead, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s response fractured that fragile pause: a heartfelt Instagram post asking for compassion was followed by a televised monologue that mocked the president’s grief and accused conservatives of exploiting the tragedy. What was framed by some outlets as satire quickly crossed a line for millions of Americans who saw it as callous and out of touch in the wake of a political murder.
ABC’s decision to pull Kimmel’s show amid the backlash was inevitable and deserved; the entertainer’s jokes came at the expense of a family in mourning and played directly into a narrative of elite media contempt for conservative lives. This was not merely poor taste—this was moral tone-deafness from a network that too often defends its own while heaping scorn on everyday patriots. If networks expect to keep advertising dollars and public trust, executives must learn there are consequences when talent weaponizes tragedy against half the country.
The broader political fallout laid bare an ugly double standard in our national conversation. While every honest American must denounce political violence, too many on the left rushed to politicize the slaying and some voices even cheered, feeding a bitter cycle where conservatives are expected to act “civil” while their leaders and institutions are ridiculed. That hypocrisy matters; it eats away at the social fabric and persuades young Americans that partisan hatred has become acceptable, even fashionable.
At the same time, conservatives must be crystal clear: the answer to murder is justice, not revenge, and the legal system must run its course. Prosecutors quickly moved to charge a suspect and pursue the strongest penalties available, and Americans demanding safety on campus should support rigorous investigation and fair prosecution rather than conspiracy or vigilantism. Our movement should channel grief into organizing, protecting students’ right to hear diverse viewpoints, and pressuring institutions to secure events where conservative speakers can participate without fear.
This moment reveals something larger about America’s cultural rot: when powerful media figures treat conservative deaths as punchlines, the rest of the country sees who really runs the narrative. We need to stop allowing biased gatekeepers to set the terms of civility while excusing their own worst impulses. Ordinary, hardworking Americans will not forget who was mocked and who was defended when the chips were down.
Now is the time for conservatives to stand taller, not harder, than our critics expect. Demand accountability from networks, support sober leadership that honors Charlie Kirk’s legacy of engaging young people, and double down on protecting free speech and campus safety. If we turn this tragedy into renewed commitment to principled action, we will honor his memory and show that America’s patriotic majority refuses to be cowed by media elites or political violence.
