The indirect incitement of violence through inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes and dehumanizes opponents and creates a climate where lone actors feel justified in committing acts of terror is called "stochastic terrorism." This kind of rhetoric statistically increases the likelihood of attacks by unstable individuals who interpret it as justification for violence. It isn't a direct order, but a probabilistic push towards chaos.
This dynamic played out against Donald Trump on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, again on September 15, 2024 in Florida, and tragically, we saw it again four days ago when Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah. Both President Trump and Charlie Kirk had long been vilified by left-leaning media and academics as fascists, racists, and propagators of hate. Far-left outlets like MSNBC and the New York Times frequently branded them as far-right extremists, while campus protests equated their views with white supremacy. In a post-assassination address, President Trump blamed such radical left rhetoric for creating the conditions that led to Kirk's killing.
The abhorrent reactions from some on the Left highlights the threat. Social media posts erupted with posts mocking Kirk's death, including one from a British musician who quipped, "Pronouns: was/were." An employee and friend of New York City mayor Eric Adams was fired on Thursday after calling Kirk's assassination “karma” and a Secret Service agent was suspended, a university dean was dismissed, and businesses like a Cincinnati restaurant lost contracts for similar comments.
Labeling opponents as existential threats to democracy doesn't foster dialogue -- it primes the pump for violence. True discourse demands evidence-based arguments, not ad hominem "wrap-up smears."
But there is hope. Charlie Kirk's murder has energized his movement. Turning Point USA is reporting thousands of new chapter applications from high schools and colleges. Erika Kirk is vowing to continue the fall campus tour and AmericaFest conference: "The movement my husband built will not die." Vigils across the U.S., from Arizona's State Farm Stadium memorial on September 21 to impromptu gatherings at Utah campuses, are drawing massive crowds honoring Kirk as a "martyr" for free speech. Globally, conservative voices amplified the call for accountability: In the U.K., protests against "two-tier policing" swelled, inspired by Kirk's anti-establishment message; the European Conservatives and Reformists Group submitted motions in Parliament for a moment of silence (though rejected, as Democrats did here in the U.S.); South Korea's youth rallied against leftist censorship; and Australia's Turning Point chapters surged in membership. These peaceful demonstrations -- from London streets to Seoul campuses -- signal a rejection of violence in favor of organized resistance.
Legal accountability, including hate speech probes or RICO investigations into incitement networks, is essential to deter stochastic terrorism. Kirk's legacy isn't in vengeance but in empowering the next generation -- proving that ideas, not bullets, win the long game.
