Staff Reports
On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk—one of the brightest and boldest champions of conservative youth activism—was gunned down while speaking at Utah Valley University, a shocking act of political violence that has left a hole in the heart of our movement and the nation. This was not an accident or an isolated grievance; it was an assassination in front of thousands of witnesses, and Americans deserve answers and accountability for an attack on free speech itself.
What followed from many on the left and from segments of the mainstream media was revealing, shameful, and in some pockets, disturbingly celebratory—proof positive of a double standard when a conservative voice is attacked. Late-night hosts and certain commentators crossed lines speaking flippantly about Kirk’s death, and the fallout included network discipline and headlines that more often excused than condemned the tasteless glee heard in parts of the left-wing echo chamber.
Turning Point USA and grieving conservatives have refused to be cowed; the organization announced it will carry Kirk’s mission forward and continue the campus tour with a who’s who of conservative voices stepping up to speak for him. That defiance is the right answer: mourn the fallen, demand justice, and keep fighting to bring conservative ideas to America’s young people despite the risks.
Yet the real story isn’t just the killings or the condemnations—it’s the moral rot laid bare by those who treat a political assassination as partisan fodder. When opponents of our movement react with glee or snide commentary, they reveal a worldview that values power over decency, and that tells the rest of the country that conservative lives and voices are less deserving of protection. This cannot stand in a republic that claims to cherish life and liberty.
Law enforcement moved quickly in the aftermath, and the nation should trust the rule of law to see that whoever pulled the trigger faces the fullest measure of justice. At the same time, elected officials and media outlets who pander to outrage must be held to account for contributing to a poisonous climate where political violence becomes more thinkable.
Hardworking Americans of every stripe should reject the cheap moralism and partisan celebration from the left and recommit to the principles Charlie Kirk championed: free speech on campus, patriotism, and the defense of traditional values. We will not be intimidated into silence, and we will honor Charlie’s life by carrying his message to more young people across this country.
