Democrats Link Rhetoric to Kirk’s Assassination

A recent NBC News poll indicates that most Democrats believe “extreme political rhetoric” played a significant role in the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on September 10. The poll found that 54% of Democrats attribute Kirk’s murder to the intense language used by some media figures and political leaders.

On the Republican side, 73% shared this view, and among independents, the figure was 53%, which is quite similar to Democratic opinions. Interestingly, about 28% of those surveyed felt even more strongly that rhetoric was a major factor in the incident. It’s worth noting that only 4% of respondents thought that both the rhetoric and the actions of a “disturbed person” contributed to the assassination.

In a memorandum released in September, it was revealed that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect charged with Kirk’s assassination, had made inflammatory statements inscribed on his cartridges, such as “Hey, fascist! Catch me!” Reports also mention that Robinson had a transgender boyfriend.

Furthermore, a separate Public First poll from November 3 showed that 24% of American voters think there are circumstances under which political violence could be justified, while a substantial 64% believe it is never acceptable.

Hunter Biden, in a November 6 interview on the “Wide Awake Podcast,” expressed uncertainty about the motivations behind Kirk’s assassination. He suggested it might not have purely been due to Kirk’s political views but instead because he was a prominent figure. Biden raised questions about the nature of the attack: “We don’t know if Charlie Kirk was shot because of his beliefs or by a disgruntled white man,” he said, adding details about the circumstances and execution of the assassination.

The NBC News poll, conducted between October 24 and 28 among 1,000 registered voters, utilized both phone interviews and online surveys. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.