Multiple media outlets and liberal journalists who often criticized the conservative views of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk offered sincere condolences and praise for the influential conservative activist following his assassination on a Utah university campus on Wednesday.
Outlets including The Washington Post and prominent liberal voices like CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter denounced Kirk’s assassination, offered words of comfort for his family and acknowledged his talent and influence over American politics.
"Kirk, 31, was a hugely successful political field organizer, TikTok influencer, radio host, nonprofit leader and public speaker all rolled up in one telegenic figure," Stelter wrote in a CNN article published Wednesday.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK
Liberal outlets and commentators praised conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his assassination on Wednesday. (The Washington Post / Getty)
Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday during the opening event of Turning Point's "The American Comeback Tour," held at Utah Valley University. Kirk was speaking from what was dubbed a "Prove Me Wrong Table" when he was assassinated in front of thousands of audience members, many of them college students.
The FBI announced Thursday that they have recovered the high-powered bolt action rifle believed to be the firearm used to assassinate Kirk. The suspect is still at large.
"With Turning Point USA, the nonprofit he co-founded in 2012 at age 18, Kirk built a next generation grassroots operation that was plugged directly into the GOP, much to the envy of his Democratic rivals," Stelter continued, adding, "Over the course of a decade, Kirk successfully transformed Turning Point into a nationwide powerhouse, styling himself as a mouthpiece for the youth wing of the MAGA movement."
The New York Times editorial board denounced Kirk’s assassination and offered condolences to his friends and family in an editorial published Wednesday.
"This editorial board disagreed with Mr. Kirk on many policy questions, and we are unreservedly horrified by his killing. We grieve for his loved ones. We mourn his death."
VIGILS HELD ACROSS US AFTER ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK: 'WE MUST HEAL'
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk speaks during the Turning Point Action's The Believers Summit 2024 ahead of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump’s presentation, in West Palm Beach, Florida, July 26, 2024. (REUTERS/Marco Bello)
The Washington Post’s editorial board praised Kirk’s brand of conservative activism in its Wednesday editorial.
"The 31-year-old, a husband and a father of two, founded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA in 2012. Over time, he developed a massive following online and traveled frequently to college campuses — preaching to the choir while also relishing debate with his many detractors. That sort of dialogue is what universities are supposed to foster, and shooting someone for what they have to say is among the most un-American and evil acts that anyone can perpetrate."
"His voice might be gone, but his millions of fans will make sure his message is never silenced," the board added.
This split image shows Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk speaking moments before his assassination and a still from cellphone video showing a dark-clad figure on a rooftop nearby. (@Doug_Zimmer1/X, Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
The New York Times’ opinion columnist Ezra Klein published a piece Thursday saying that Kirk was "practicing politics in exactly the right way."
"He was showing up to campuses and talking with anyone who would talk to him. He was one of the era’s most effective practitioners of persuasion," Klein wrote.
"When the left thought its hold on the hearts and minds of college students was nearly absolute, Kirk showed up again and again to break it. Slowly, then all at once, he did. College-age voters shifted sharply right in the 2024 election," he added.