Rainn Wilson Discusses Political Divide and Violence

On his “Soul Boom” podcast, actor Rainn Wilson shared reflections on some reactions from his liberal friends regarding the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. During a chat with fellow actor Mark Ruffalo, Wilson expressed concern about the dismissive attitude some had, saying, “There’s a bit of a good riddance,” and added, “We can’t think or talk about it that way. That’s not okay.”

While Wilson doesn’t necessarily agree with Kirk’s views, he emphasized that “it’s very wrong to shoot someone we don’t agree with.” He pointed out that even if someone is loud or controversial, resorting to violence is unacceptable.

In their conversation, Wilson noted that the clip was from an upcoming episode yet to be released. Ruffalo shared his perspective too, saying that the news of Kirk’s death hit particularly hard, as he has personal connections to gun violence, referencing his brother’s tragic death.

“We don’t win. We never win this way,” Ruffalo remarked. He expressed sympathy for Kirk’s family, acknowledging the pain they are experiencing. Despite viewing Kirk as a “political enemy,” he found himself heartbroken over the loss.

Wilson challenged Ruffalo’s use of the term “opponent,” suggesting that terminology like that only fuels division. He mentioned that conflicting viewpoints shouldn’t lead to violent rhetoric—it sends society in the wrong direction.

As the dialogue shifted to gun control, Ruffalo pointed out the prevalence of “weapons of war” in society, although he wasn’t sure what type of gun was involved in Kirk’s assassination. Wilson interjected that the use of a sniper rifle suggested a premeditated act.

Ruffalo continued, discussing the implications of normalizing such weaponry in society, reflecting, “As you know, we will continue to sign it as a nation… the ultimate solution to all kinds of conflicts.” Wilson added that the gun used was a bolt-action rifle—common in hunting, but requiring manual reloading.