Historian Comments on Recent Violence Involving Charlie Kirk

Historian Heather Cox Richardson mentioned in a podcast on Friday that liberals have refrained from congratulating Charlie Kirk, the founder and CEO of Turning Point USA. Authorities apprehended 22-year-old Tyler Robinson early Friday morning, alleging that Kirk was involved in Robinson’s death during a TPUSA “Proof Me Wrong” event at Utah Valley University held earlier in the week. Richardson suggested that the narrative portraying Kirk as a “target of the left” is a product of “Extreme Right” rhetoric.

She stated that following the gunshot incident, Kirk alleged that non-MAGA individuals and leftists were celebrating his demise. On her podcast “Politics Talk,” Richardson expressed disbelief at such claims, mentioning there were no visible celebrations from liberals. It seemed, perhaps, that some people thought Kirk would “live by the sword and die by the sword,” considering past quotes attributed to him.

Tom Elliot, founder of Grabien News, shared a video compilation on X, showing instances of liberal figures celebrating Kirk’s assassination in response to a Daily Caller News Foundation reporter. This video included comments wishing ill on figures like former President Donald Trump and Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro.

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith voiced his disapproval of the online celebrations surrounding Kirk’s murder during a Thursday Sirius XM show before Richardson’s podcast aired. “I don’t care what his political beliefs are! I don’t care who he was!” Smith exclaimed, expressing outrage that a man was shot in front of two young children. He pointed out the human cost of the violence, mentioning Kirk’s young children who would no longer have a father due to differing beliefs.

Smith continued, visibly upset, “And yet I’m seeing people celebrating this!” Several individuals have been dismissed for their online remarks either celebrating or disparaging Kirk’s assassination. Following the January 6, 2021, riots, Democratic officials criticized responses that lamented Kirk’s death, highlighting the sensitive nature of such political violence.

Turning Point USA events across the country have faced violent disruptions. Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, a vocal opponent of allowing biological men in women’s sports, was assaulted at a TPUSA event at San Francisco State University in April 2023 while discussing the issue.

Richardson has been critical of Trump and his administration’s policies, including those concerning immigration. She characterized these policies as a potential “slippery slope” and previously suggested that Trump’s idea of renaming regional waters to the “Gulf of America” was an authoritarian act.

In a July video, Richardson referred to a leftist New York City candidate, Zohran Mamdani, arguing that he is “not a socialist,” emphasizing her stance on political issues.