Charlie Kirk | Death of a culture crusader

 Charlie Kirk | Death of a culture crusader 

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The American right-wing activist, who was killed in Utah on September 10, had promoted conservatism in a Trumpist avatar, creating a heady cocktail of MAGA populism and Christian nationalism that he showcased through public debates with campus liberals

Updated - September 14, 2025 08:32 am IST


G  SampathG. Sampath

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Illustration: R. Rajesh

Illustration: R. Rajesh


Charles James Kirk, 31, a high- profile conservative activist who was an ally of Donald Trump, was shot dead during a university event in Utah on September 10. The suspected shooter, identified as Tyler Robinson, 22, has been taken into custody.



Although Kirk has never held an official position in either the government or in the Republican Party, his killing has reverberated beyond the U.S. Calling him a “giant of his generation”, Mr. Trump announced that Kirk would posthumously be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the country’s highest civilian honour. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, praised him as a “lion-hearted friend of Israel”, who “stood tall for Judaeo-Christian civilisation”. Luminaries of Europe’s far-right, from Alice Weidel of Germany’s neo-Nazi Alternative for Germany (AfD) to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Jordan Bardella of France’s National Rally have lionised Kirk, describing him as a champion of free speech and liberty.



After Kirk’s killing a growing chorus of conservatives wants his critics ostracised or fired

Some conservatives are targeting people and organizations they believe disparaged Charlie Kirk after his death

Updated - September 15, 2025 07:03 am IST - BASKING RIDGE, New Jersey


AP

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Mourners queue to attend a vigil for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University, at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C., U.S., on September 14, 2025.

Mourners queue to attend a vigil for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University, at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C., U.S., on September 14, 2025. | Photo Credit: Reuters


After years of complaints from the right about “cancel culture” from the left, some conservatives are seeking to upend the lives and careers of those who disparaged Charlie Kirk after his death. They’re going after companies, educators, news outlets, political rivals and others they judge as promoting hate speech.



A campaign by public officials and others on the right has led just days after the conservative activist’s death to the firing or punishment of teachers, an Office Depot employee, government workers, a TV pundit and the expectation of more dismissals coming.


This past weekend, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted that American Airlines had grounded pilots who he said were celebrating Kirk’s assassination. “This behaviour is disgusting and they should be fired,” Mr. Duffy said on the social media site X.


Who is Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk's murder?

Robinson had become more political in recent years, the family member told investigators, and authorities said he had engraved what appeared to be “anti-fascist messages” on bullet casings they found

Updated - September 13, 2025 10:40 am IST - WASHINGTON, Utah


Reuters

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Combination image of Tyler Robinson (left), the suspected killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk (right)

Combination image of Tyler Robinson (left), the suspected killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk (right) | Photo Credit: Utah Governor’s office, Reuters


Eighteen-year-old Tyler Robinson seemingly had a bright future ahead of him. The Utah teen had scored in the top percentile on his college entrance exam and earned himself a four-year scholarship to Utah State University in Logan. His proud mother posted a video on Facebook in which her first-born son, the oldest of three, read aloud the school's letter offering him the grant.



"He's so excited to start his journey and it's going to be so amazing for him!" she wrote in another post.


 Trump calls for nonviolent response to murder of Charlie Kirk


Four years later, authorities say, Robinson fired a rifle shot on Tuesday (September 9, 2025) from atop a building at another university campus, killing conservative influencer Charlie Kirk and triggering a new round of national anxiety over rising political violence.

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