A new chapter of political violence in the US

The assassination of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk represents a watershed moment in a wave of political violence in the United States, which some experts fear will further inflame an already divided country and fuel new unrest.

Investigators found ammunition engraved with phrases related to transgender and anti-fascist ideology in the rifle that authorities believe was used to kill Kirk, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, citing a source familiar with the details of the investigation.

The newspaper said the magazine contained three unfired bullets, all engraved with inscriptions. Police were still searching yesterday for the attacker, who was captured on security cameras and described as "college-aged."

"This event is horrific, troubling, but not necessarily surprising," Mike Jensen, a researcher at the University of Maryland who has been tracking these forms of violence in a terrorism database since 1970, told Reuters.

During the first six months of this year, the US recorded about 150 politically motivated attacks - almost twice as many as in the same period last year, Jensen pointed out.

“I think we are in a very, very dangerous place right now, which could easily turn into wider civil unrest if we don’t manage to contain it,” he warned. “This could certainly serve as a kind of flashpoint that will inspire even more violence.”

Kirk, a 31-year-old podcaster and radio commentator and a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has been credited with boosting support for the Republican Party among younger voters.

His appearance on Wednesday was part of a planned tour of American university campuses called the “America’s Comeback Tour,” which includes 15 events.

Kirk, known for his often provocative stances on issues of race, gender, immigration, and gun regulation, often invited attendees to engage in open debate with him at such gatherings, and he often faced challenges and criticism from both the left and the far right.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Kirk's appearances on college campuses are part of a tradition of open political debate that is "fundamental to the creation of our country and to our most basic constitutional rights." "When someone takes a person's life because of their ideas or ideals, that very constitutional foundation is threatened," Cox said.

Kirk's murder sparked a wave of outrage and condemnation of political violence from Democrats, Republicans and foreign governments.

However, the anger and deep political polarization in the country also quickly became visible.

At the White House, grief was mixed with anger. The president canceled a Rose Garden dinner scheduled for Wednesday night and ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Sunday. Hours later, Trump released a four-minute video in which he blamed Kirk’s death on the “radical left” and said his administration was determined to root out political violence against conservatives. Trump called Kirk “great and even legendary,” adding that “no one understood or had more compassion for the youth of the United States than Charlie.”

"My administration will pursue every individual who contributed to this crime and other political violence, including the organizations that fund and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, police, officials, and all others who maintain order in our country," Trump said in a video recorded in the Oval Office.

“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” Trump said. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism we are witnessing in our country today and must stop immediately.”

Trump said yesterday that Kirk would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Vice President J.D. Vance canceled a trip to New York to commemorate the September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda attacks and instead traveled to Utah to visit Kirk's family, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

In the House, tensions reached a boiling point after Speaker Mike Johnson led a moment of silence for Kirk and Lauren Bobert, a Colorado Republican, called for additional prayer. When Democrats objected, the session descended into a heated debate. Ana Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, shouted, “You caused this.”

Nancy Mays, a Republican from South Carolina, told reporters that "Democrats bear responsibility for what happened today."

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has declared that "the left is the party of murder."

The killing highlighted divisions outside the US as well.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola yesterday rejected an initiative by right-wing factions to hold a minute of silence for Kirk. The initiative was first proposed by Charlie Weimers, a member of the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), as a symbolic message “that our right to freedom of speech cannot be extinguished,” according to a series of emails seen by Politico.

However, Metsola rejected the proposal, and a spokesperson for the Parliament Speaker told “Politiko” that “the minutes of silence are declared by the President at the opening of the plenary session.” The opening of the plenary session was held on Monday.

Assassinations have been a part of political life in the US for generations, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865, to the murders of John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. Ronald Reagan was also targeted in 1981, the Financial Times recalls.

However, political violence has become an increasingly prominent feature in America in recent years, along with deepening divisions in the country and lax gun laws.

Reuters has documented more than 300 cases of politically motivated acts of violence across the ideological spectrum since Trump supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Trump himself has survived two assassination attempts - in one, he was grazed on the ear during a campaign rally in July 2024, while the second, two months later, was thwarted thanks to federal agents.

In April, Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, was the target of an arson attack at his residence in the middle of the night. In June of this year, Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state representative from Minnesota, was murdered in her home along with her husband in a politically motivated murder.

Experts fear that, in a country all too accustomed to violent episodes in political life, Kirk's murder will prompt an even darker turn, rather than a rethinking or de-escalation of political rhetoric.

Hassan Picker, a progressive influencer who was scheduled to debate Kirk later this month, said in his livestream on Wednesday that it was a “horrifying incident.” “The reactions of people seeking revenge after this violent, disgusting incident will be truly concerning,” he said.

What did Charlie Kirk stand for?

Kirk's social media accounts and his eponymous daily podcast often offered footage of him debating with students on topics like climate change, faith, and family values.

He was known for his anti-transgender views and skepticism about the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, he publicly promoted the false claim that the election, which Joe Biden won, was stolen from Trump.

Gun control has been among the many political and social issues he has spoken about at events and on podcasts. A few months ago, Kirk said, “It’s worth paying the price, unfortunately, of a few gun deaths every year, to have the Second Amendment.”

At the beginning of Kirk's podcast, a recording of Trump himself played: "I want to thank Charlie, he's an incredible man, his spirit, his love for this country. He's done a great job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created."

The nonprofit he founded, Turning Point USA, was launched after President Barack Obama's reelection in 2012. Its youth-focused mission is to bring together students to “promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.” Today, it has chapters at more than 850 universities.

She played a key role in mobilizing voters for Trump and other Republican candidates in last year's election. Kirk has also been widely credited with helping register tens of thousands of new voters and swinging Arizona in Trump's favor.

Kirk's relationship with Trump has grown stronger since Trump's victory. Kirk attended the inauguration in January in Washington, D.C., and later became a regular visitor to the White House during both of Trump's terms.

According to the New York Times, Kirk played golf with Trump just two days before Trump's presidential inauguration in 2025.

In January, he traveled with Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., to Greenland, as the president-elect argued that the US should own the Arctic region.