Staff Editorial

American conservative political figure Charlie Kirk was killed Wednesday afternoon in what was meant to be the first of a series of speaking engagements for his organization Turning Point USA. Graphic videos from the event show him being shot from a distance, slumping over and gushing blood from his neck.

Our democracy is built on our ability as citizens to express our political views for the benefit of a healthy and well-reasoned discussion. Political violence is neither healthy nor well-reasoned. A gunshot wound is violent, visceral and permanent. It does nothing to benefit anyone’s wellbeing or promote democracy.

But we don’t really know yet what the shooter’s motives were. Perhaps Occam’s razor applies, perhaps it was simply an unmotivated crazed gunman who took advantage of the outdoor venue where the event was taking place.

Political violence has become a new normal in the last year from both sides of the political spectrum: United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Minnesota Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Minnesota Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife and U.S. President Donald Trump have all been targets of similar violence.

But our more immediate concern should be the rhetoric coming from Trump.

The president addressed the nation around 10 p.m. on Wednesday. In his speech, he singled out the radical left for stoking political tension and promoting violence and ignoring his own track record of worsening the political climate in this country. From the nicknames he uses to attack political opponents, to humoring right-wing conspiracy theories, to provoking his own supporters to delay Congress in certifying the results of the 2020 election following his loss.

In his Wednesday night address, Trump promised he would go after the “radical left.” He promised his administration would “find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity, and to other political violence including the organizations that fund it and support it.”

It’s easy to believe a man like Trump – who has sought to break as many political norms as he could, going so far as to send National Guard Troops into Chicago and defying federal injunctions against the deportation of migrants – would also do whatever he could to punish whomever he deems “radically left” from the average “Never Trump Republican” to the moderate liberal politicians.

Kirk didn’t deserve to be killed, especially not for practicing his First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Now, his unjust murder may be the catalyst Trump needs to really go after the free speech of anyone he deems to be a part of his straw man group — the “radical left.”

Whatever that means to him.