Yesterday’s brutal and jarring assassination of beloved conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has rattled both sides of the political aisle.
And while officials and leaders have vocally expressed disdain and condemnation for yesterday’s murder, Kirk himself warned of the growing violence shaking the U.S. political landscape in one his final messages to America — a message that is now going viral.
In April, Kirk shared a sobering message highlighting the growing rise in violence targeting political leaders and activists.
“Assassination culture is spreading on the left,” Kirk posted to X on April 7.
“Forty-eight percent of liberals say it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk. Fifty-five percent said the same about Donald Trump.”
Assassination culture is spreading on the left. Forty-eight percent of liberals say it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk. Fifty-five percent said the same about Donald Trump.
In California, activists are naming ballot measures after Luigi Mangione.
The… pic.twitter.com/xiGAAvoPHy
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 7, 2025
Kirk, widely known for using concrete data and analytics, was referring to a report from Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) which polled Americans on their attitudes towards assassination.
“[T]olerance – and even advocacy – for political violence appears to have surged, especially among politically left-leaning segments of the population,” the report reads.
“In California, activists are naming ballot measures after Luigi Mangione,” Kirk’s post continued, referencing the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was gunned down by suspect Luigi Mangione.
“The left is being whipped into a violent frenzy. Any setback, whether losing an election or losing a court case, justifies a maximally violent response.”
“This is the natural outgrowth of left-wing protest culture tolerating violence and mayhem for years on end. The cowardice of local prosecutors and school officials have turned the left into a ticking time bomb,” Kirk’s tweet continued.
Prior to Kirk’s shocking killing, the rise of politically-motivated killings was already beginning to boil over.
Last July, President Donald Trump narrowly avoided a bullet in Butler, Pennsylvania during a campaign rally.
This past June, Democratic Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman, and her husband Mark Hortman, were murdered in what Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called a “politically-motivated assassination.”
Authorities continue to investigate Kirk’s murder.
According to reports from the Associated Press (AP), two “persons of interest” were detained Wednesday but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting and both were released, Utah public safety officials said.
Kirk, 31, launched his organization, Turning Point USA, in 2012, targeting younger people and venturing onto liberal-leaning college campuses where many GOP activists were nervous to tread.
This is an ongoing story. Check back for further developments.