Charlie Kirk, another leading right-wing influencer and provocateur, was assassinated during a hate speech at a Utah university. His death reverberated throughout the entire conservative media ecosystem. Kirk is a prominent evangelical Christian who has a long history of framing his political arguments in religious terms. Yet he has become a symbol of the culture wars in America. His assassination has been called the “turning point” in this long-simmering conflict.
The action, taken late last week, has sent ripples of panic through right-wing circles. Kirk’s killing triggered immediate responses from many of the aforementioned prominent figures. As a result, many saw his death as an act of martyrdom for conservative values. In a statement at the time, former President Donald Trump lauded Kirk as “a man of deep, deep faith.” He further posited that Kirk has now turned into “a martyr for the truth and freedom.”
Media personalities and conservative commentators began right away organizing responses to the tragedy. Fill-in replacement Jesse Watters called Kirk a “casualty of war.” He proposed that the left is engaged in an full-throttle war against conservatives. “We need to have hearts of compassion and steely resolve,” he said on a recently aired broadcast. “We are at war in this country. We are.”
Alex Jones, a controversial figure in right-wing media, echoed this sentiment with inflammatory rhetoric, declaring, “This is dangerous. This is a war, this is a war, this is a war. This is the war. This is it, get ready. They’re terrorists, they mean business.” He went on to claim that Kirk’s killing was a sign of the increasing level of political violence being directed at conservatives.
In addition to Jones, other media figures were creating a sense of an approaching storm. Steve Bannon stated on his podcast that Kirk’s death marks a significant moment in what he perceives as an ongoing struggle. “Charlie Kirk’s a casualty of war,” he declared. “We’re at war in this country.”
As political leaders, Donald Trump included, warned of the risks of increased political polarization spiraling out of control. He warned that violence can be a consequence of the dehumanization of political rivals. “Violence and murder are the tragic consequences of demonizing those you disagree with,” he remarked.
Now that the tolerance mob is howling, a slew of right-wing commentators have set themselves up as Kirk’s defenders. Benny Johnson tweeted that Kirk’s martyrdom would only strengthen their movement: “Martyrs only become more powerful.”
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld was one of the first to express his outrage on-air immediately following Kirk’s murder. He spoke strongly to the extent that this loss cut to the conservative base.
Jesse Watters posed critical questions regarding political violence: “How much political violence are we going to tolerate?” He further declared, “This is unacceptable and has to stop, and it has to stop now.”
In their response to Kirk’s death, many in the right-wing media are framing their calls for action not just as a tribute to Kirk but as a necessary step toward safeguarding their ideology. We are sick. We are sad. We are mad. And we are determined,” Watters said firmly.
Kirk’s killing comes at a time of unprecedented anger and street-level violence in American politics. This tragedy has the potential to harden the fault lines between these rival world views even more. While cries for revenge reverberate in the right-wing media, more than a few of us are wondering how this may shape future political conversations.