On Wednesday, Sept. 10, conservative influencer and Trump ally Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot and killed while speaking at a Utah Valley University event. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called his death a “political assassination,” according to AP News.
As the founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a nonprofit that works with youth to join the conservative movement, Kirk was speaking at the first stop of TPUSA’s “American Comeback Tour,” where the right-wing activist invited attendees to debate him on current political issues. Kirk was involved in the conservative movement for close to ten years and was credited with playing a role in swaying young voters to support President Donald Trump in his re-election.
Trump confirmed Kirk’s death in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” he wrote. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”
Oregon lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were quick to condemn the violence that led to Kirk’s death. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wrote on Threads, “The attack on Charlie Kirk is inexcusable. Violence has absolutely no place in our democracy. America is better than this,” while Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) called Kirk’s shooting “absolutely horrific.”
Both Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley and Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden opposed political violence and shared that their thoughts were with Kirk’s family on X.
“Charlie was a passionate voice and leader for the conservative movement,” wrote Oregon’s sole Republican congressman, Rep. Cliff Bentz, on X. “My prayers are with Charlie and his family.”
According to The Oregonian, Republican Oregon House representative Christine Darzan wrote that Kirk’s shooting should “horrify every American who believes in free speech and public debate.”
Kirk’s death comes in light of what appears to be an increase in political violence. In the past couple of years, American politics have seen events like the assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the attempted assassination of Trump while on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania.
Republican Oregon House Representative Jeff Helfrich called Kirk’s assassination a “sobering reminder of the rise in political violence across our country,” on Facebook. “No matter our differences, violence is not, and never will be, the answer. We must always reject hate and recommit to civil debate and respect for one another. Our democracy depends on it. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Charlie Kirk,” he wrote.
The investigation to identify Kirk’s attacker is ongoing.
