Charlie Kirk’s assassination shocked the nation a couple of weeks back. The 31-year-old political activist and Turning Point USA founder was gunned down while at a public event at Utah Valley University, showing the grim reality of how political discourse in the United States has become extremely polarized. Images of his assassination quickly made the jump to social media, becoming one of the most disturbing news stories in recent years.
The event led to an outpouring of calls from both sides of the aisle to take this moment as a warning sign of how prevalent political violence has become in America. Figures like Republican Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Democratic Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders issued statements condemning the act. Others used the tragedy to further justify calls for radicalization.
All of this culminated last week with a moving funeral at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, in which thousands of Turning Point activists and dozens of the most important figures in conservative politics gathered to pay their final respects to Charlie Kirk. The speakers included figures like President Donald Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr., Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, political pundit Tucker Carlson, and Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk.
The event will, with little doubt, become seared in the American public consciousness. The highlight of the day was Erika’s speech, which ended with her quoting from the Gospel of Luke to forgive her husband’s assassin:
“On the cross our savior said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they do..’ That man, that young man. I forgive him,” Erika said.
The event drew reactions from all sorts of public figures. The world of sports wasn’t immune to this, with Jason Whitlock taking to X to reflect upon the gravity of the event:
“Charlie Kirk Memorial is better the second time you watch it.” Wrote Whitlock on X this Wednesday.
Charlie Kirk Memorial is better the second time you watch it.
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) September 24, 2025
Governor Spencer Cox on Charlie Kirk’s murder
Few elected officials have done more in the last few weeks to call for a tone-down of political rhetoric than Governor Spencer Cox of Utah. Shortly after Kirk’s assassin was apprehended by law enforcement, Cox led an impassioned plea to the public to learn the right lessons from this tragedy:
“The problem with political violence is it metastasizes, because we can always point the finger at the other side,” the governor said, “And at some point we have to find an off ramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse.”
“To my young friends out there: you are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option, but through those words, we have a reminder that we can choose a different path,” Cox said. “Your generation has an opportunity to build a culture that is very different than what we are suffering through right now. Not by pretending differences don’t matter, but by embracing our differences and having those hard conversations.”
Cox has long been known to be a leading moderate voice within a Republican Party, which has often been defined by heated rhetoric in recent years. He has even said in public that he regrets not having tried to understand members of the LGBT community better when he was younger, something that could’ve been considered a political sin for any other public official in deeply Mormon Utah.
Also read:
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
