On Wednesday, conservative titan Charlie Kirk was murdered while speaking on a college campus in Utah. His crime? Sharing the Gospel, defending the family unit, and loving his country.
His ideas weren’t fringe. They’re the values millions of ordinary Americans hold themselves — and that’s why Kirk’s assassination has shaken people so deeply. Kirk wasn’t murdered for some radical cause, but for the most basic convictions that hold our nation together. If Kirk could be murdered for those truths, then no one can assume, “It won’t happen to me.”
The reaction from the left made the danger clear. Instead of condemning the murder, many openly justified it. Their message was unmistakable: Political murder is acceptable if the victim believes the wrong thing.
Heather Harvey, a staffer for Democrat Rep. André Carson, posted on her Instagram story that Kirk is a “casualty of the violence he incited,” according to Breitbart.
Two faculty members at East Tennessee State University were put on leave pending review after sharing posts that read, “you reap what you sow” and “This isn’t a tragedy. It’s a victory,” NBC News reported.
A teacher at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California, allegedly posted: “Far right assholes have a target on their backs, and deserve to die. One down, millions to go,” according to the 1776 Project PAC.
A nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta who reportedly posted, “F-ck his kids. F-ck his ancestors, especially the b-tch who birthed him” was fired, according to Libs of TikTok.
These aren’t fringe extremists hiding in the shadows. They are teachers, medical professionals, university faculty, even congressional staffers — people trusted with responsibilities and influence. Instead of recoiling from political murder, they’re normalizing it.
That’s the chilling clarity of this moment: Kirk was not assassinated for anything radical. He was assassinated for believing in things most Americans believe in — God, family, and country. If those bedrock values are now considered justification for political murder, then no one can fool himself into thinking he’s safe being quiet.
Kirk’s murder is a wake-up call. Sitting on the sidelines won’t protect you, because the left’s hatred does not stop at political figures. If they can cheer the killing of a father of two for holding common American beliefs, they can cheer and justify the destruction of anyone who holds those views — which means all of us.
Americans can’t retreat into silence. We must speak boldly, defend our values clearly, and stand together firmly. If we don’t, the forces that celebrated Kirk’s murder will only grow stronger — and the next target could be any of us.
Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2