Desperate news. As I was travelling home last night after the show, I heard that Charlie Kirk had died. I’d known Charlie for about ten years. I spent a lot of time with him, spoke at Turning Point conferences, and rarely visited Mar-a-Lago without seeing him there. Personally, I felt this very, very strongly.
Charlie was without doubt the most dynamic young Republican in America. He had a following of millions, and even here in the UK his profile was rising — particularly after his impressive speech at the Oxford Union last month.
Charlie understood the dangers of shutting down debate. In fact, what he says here is now prophetic:
"I go around universities and have challenging conversations because that’s what’s so important for our country — finding our disagreements respectfully.
"When people stop talking, that’s when violence happens. I’ve been stormed out of restaurants, assaulted publicly, received multiple death threats.
"But there are more people who agree with me than many would think, and they come out when I do this. We record everything so people can see how ideas collide. Because when people stop talking, that’s when you get violence. That’s when civil war happens.”
Nigel Farage has reacted to Charlie Kirk's tragic death
|GB NEWS
Charlie was well aware of the dangers he faced. He mentioned Antifa — a violent organisation that, for reasons I simply don’t understand, is allowed to operate openly in the US, often masked.
We’re told that intelligence points to the shooter being linked to Antifa, holding very different views on transgender rights than Charlie. The FBI has released a picture of the suspect and offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The reactions to Charlie’s death have been mixed. President Trump, who was close to Charlie, was clearly emotional. Today he announced that Charlie Kirk will posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
But sadly, some on the left have responded in the most appalling way. On ITV Breakfast this morning, author Nels Abbey compared Charlie to David Duke — the former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. To compare a young man who has just been assassinated to the leader of the Klan is beyond disgraceful.
Charlie Kirk was speaking at a campus event in Utah when he was killed | REUTERS
In the European Parliament today, members were asked to stand for a minute’s silence in his honour. It was disrupted by booing and jeering. Absolutely shameful.
I spoke in the House of Commons today and said this: It is imperative that all of us in public life use sensible, measured language. Don’t drag in endless historical analogies. Don’t use words that can inflame. Across the political spectrum, we have a duty to be responsible.
And yet, it does seem to me that some on the hard left simply don’t care. They believe they possess moral superiority, whatever the human cost.
I fear not. Perhaps you disagree with me — but I doubt this tragedy will lead to the reflection and restraint it should.