Criticism Follows Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
The sports reporter for Phnx Sports, Gerald Brugett, has referred to conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s life as one filled with “hate rhetoric,” stressing that he would not mourn what he called “biased genocide propaganda.”
Kirk was fatally shot at a gathering at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, leading to his hospitalization, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
In a series of tweets, Brugett accused Kirk of spreading hatred daily. He stated, “Political differences are not the same as spewing hate constantly. Not mourning a life built on that kind of rhetoric isn’t the same as promoting gun violence. Just to clarify.”
“Political differences” are not the same as vomiting hateful rhetoric on a daily basis, and refusing to lament life dedicated to that cause is not the same as celebrating gun violence. Just we are 100% clear about it.
– Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) September 11, 2025
Brugett went on to critique those who expressed sympathy for Kirk due to his father’s grief. He remarked, “He was his father. When mass shooting victims were literally children, many of you didn’t bother to act on stopping gun violence. And those kids didn’t propagate the massacre or feed into this tragic irony.”
“He was my father.”
Half of you didn’t mind doing anything to stop gun violence when the mass shooting victims were literally children. And those children did not spread the propaganda of the massacre or the idea that directly fed this ironic Holy Spirit.– Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) September 11, 2025
Continuing his thoughts, Brugett questioned the disparity in reactions to violent events. “If today’s ‘political violence’ makes you sad, or if you feel repulsed by the video, consider why your responses differ when it comes to school shootings, large-scale deportations, or the hundreds of videos (endorsed by Kirk) showing horrific murders in Gaza.”
He concluded, “I don’t care if you think it’s insensitive to show no respect for someone who was fundamentally evil. Many of you seem more interested in being polite and appearing good than actually standing up against hatred.”
