Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe on Saturday blamed Republicans for the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in a string of social media posts that also targeted former President Donald Trump and GOP rhetoric.
Kluwe, 43, reposted an interview with Sen. Elizabeth Warren in which she rejected the idea that Democratic rhetoric was responsible for Kirk’s killing and urged scrutiny of Republican and presidential speech. In his accompanying comments, Kluwe wrote, "Fing finally. Fight back against the bulls framing that tries to make Dems responsible for everything." He added that the GOP is "choosing to create this kind of societal environment" and said, "They could stop it at any time. They have agency as well. They're not f***ing children (except when, well, you know)."
Kluwe also shared a separate post saying it was possible to hold two truths at once: that political violence is never acceptable, and that, in his view, Kirk "dream[ed] to create exactly the kind of society he currently lives in, as spoken from his own mouth." He further reposted a clip from an interview in which Trump criticized "the radicals on the left" while also arguing that "the radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime." Kluwe commented on that clip, writing, "I see he’s going back to one of his classics. The man is a Nazi, and every media organization worth the name should be calling him one."
Kirk, a close ally of Trump, was fatally shot this week at a question‑and‑answer event at Utah Valley University. The shooting has prompted renewed debate about political rhetoric and the responsibilities of public figures, and it drew immediate responses across the political spectrum.
Kluwe has long been an outspoken political presence. Earlier this year, he was arrested after an anti‑MAGA outburst at a city council meeting in Huntington Beach, California. Police removed Kluwe from the meeting after he rushed toward council members, and he was held in jail for about four hours before being released and charged with disrupting an assembly. Following that incident, the high school where he coached notified him of his termination; he had worked at Edison High School in Huntington Beach since 2019.
During his NFL career, Kluwe was public about his political views, including strong support for same‑sex marriage. He has alleged that his outspokenness contributed to his release from the Minnesota Vikings, saying he was "pretty confident" he was cut because of his advocacy. The Vikings have denied that off‑field reasons led to his departure. Kluwe has also accused former Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer of using homophobic language while on the team, a claim Priefer has not publicly confirmed.
Kluwe’s posts come amid an intense national discussion about whether political speech by public figures contributes to a climate that can lead to violence. In the Warren interview Kluwe reposted, the senator dismissed the argument that Democratic speech was to blame and instead pointed to presidential conduct, saying, "Oh, please. Why don't you start with the president of the United States? And every ugly meme he's posted and every ugly word." Kluwe echoed that stance in his reposts.
The shooting and ensuing online reactions have led to calls from some lawmakers and media figures for a sober assessment of political rhetoric on all sides. Law enforcement and campus officials are investigating the circumstances of the Utah Valley University shooting. Kluwe’s commentary reflects a broader clash over blame, accountability and free speech that has intensified in recent years and which has repeatedly surfaced around incidents of political violence.
Kluwe declined immediate comment to reporters, and there were no immediate public responses from the school that terminated his coaching role. Representatives for Kirk and for Trump did not immediately reply to requests for comment.