The reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination shows that the nation is more divided than ever. It isn’t lost on me that yesterday was the 24th anniversary of 9/11/01. I was in New York City on 9/11 and witnessed the Twin Towers fall. Then, we had a common enemy, and the attack on American soil united us. Today, Charlie Kirk’s murder shows that our biggest enemy is within. The people who are celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death have become so radicalized that they rejoice in the murder of a fellow American who simply has a different worldview, effectively communicated his ideas, and wanted to have open conversations.
Our country on Wednesday witnessed the assassination of an extraordinary man. Charlie Kirk was a great leader. He led a bold movement about freedom, free speech, and traditional American values. He was brave, daring, and effective, like no one else ever was. He was also a dedicated father and husband, and only 31 years old. Conservative Americans grieve the loss of a peaceful and bold leader, while much of the left celebrates his death.
Charlie Kirk was never violent or called for violence, yet he was brutally assassinated in front of a large crowd at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. Kirk believed in peaceful conversations. He visited college campuses to help students understand that a conservative viewpoint isn’t inherently hateful. He productively shared his ideas. These ideas included the pitfalls of communism, that life begins at conception, the importance of meritocracy, the differences between men and women, and the beauty of traditional marriages. These are not hateful ways of thinking.
Yet, in the wake of his cold-blooded murder, there is a large section of our population who are celebrating his death. He is being called hateful, violent, inflammatory, racist, and divisive. Many are blaming him for his own death. In the media coverage of the assassination yesterday, NBC politics reported Allen Smith implied that Charlie Kirk brought about his own death because he was “contrarian.” MSNBC anchor Katy Tur called him a divisive figure, polarizing, a lightning rod.
On the House floor, Speaker Mike Johnson wanted to hold a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk, and the Democrats shouted “No.” Representative Anna Paulina Luna shouted, “You f*cking own this!” “Y’all caused this!”
On the X alternative social media platform Blue Sky, there are countless posts from people who believe Charlie Kirk was horrible. Wajahat Ali, a writer of a Substack called “The Left Hook,” with over 80,000 subscribers, wrote on Blue Sky, “Charlie Kirk was a horrible, hateful man who spent his life radicalizing young people to embrace their worst demons by targeting women, people of color, immigrants, and the marginalized.”. Assistant Dean of Students for Middle Tennessee State University, Laura Sosh-Lightsy wrote “Looks like ‘ol Charlie spoke his fate into existence. Hate begets hate. ZERO sympathy.” This sentiment is repeated all over the internet, yet none of these statements are backed up, only by using Kirk’s quotes out of context, and painting him wrongly as a cold person.
Meanwhile, in conservative spaces, people are overcome with grief. At the TPUSA headquarters, a large vigil rose up. There were other spontaneous memorials across the country. Megyn Kelly cried live on air with genuine tears of sadness. President Trump gave a beautiful speech to honor Charlie Kirk. Ben Shapiro said on X, “I am utterly stunned and heartbroken and sick to my soul today…” Matt Walsh said on X, “I am totally devastated. Charlie was a friend and a very good man.”
As we reflect on the anniversary of 9/11/01, 24 years ago, I think about what a different America we lived in then. New Yorkers came together. No one even thought about their neighbors' political affiliations because we were all Americans. We were grieving together, and we lived by the phrase “United We Stand.”
Since 2001, the media, institutions, and academia have become more divisive by painting conservatives as the mortal enemy. Contrary to the left’s belief, Charlie Kirk’s mission was to reverse this division and help young people see that conservatives aren’t Nazi’s; they have different ideas on how to run our country.
I hope more people can see through the dangerous rhetoric, remember what America was like in 2001, and show compassion for the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, a fellow American who believed in faith, freedom, and unity.
