Charlie Kirk warned on social media months before he was fatally shot at Utah Valley University that an "assassination culture is spreading on the left," citing a study that found substantial support among left-leaning respondents for political violence.
Kirk shared a post on April 7 on X that referenced a nationally representative study from the Network Contagion Research Institute, writing that 38% of respondents said it would be at least "somewhat justified" to murder former President Donald Trump and 31% said the same about Elon Musk. He noted that those figures rose to 55% for Trump and 48% for Musk when counting only left-leaning survey respondents. "Assassination culture is spreading on the left," Kirk wrote. "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."
The warning came weeks before Kirk, the founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, was killed on a university campus. Authorities are investigating the shooting and the FBI has released an image of a person of interest it is pursuing in connection with the attack.
In his post, Kirk described the trend as a "natural outgrowth of left-wing protest culture" and criticized what he called the "cowardice" of local prosecutors and school officials for tolerating violence and mayhem. He also pointed to a California ballot measure that he said effectively memorialized the murderer of a health-care executive as an example of social and political permissiveness toward violent rhetoric.
Kirk's death prompted renewed attention to a string of violent incidents and threats that have targeted conservative figures, organizations and institutions over recent years. A Fox News Digital review cited in his post and in subsequent reporting cataloged a range of episodes, including two assassination attempts on former President Trump in 2024 and an arson attack earlier this year on the New Mexico Republican Party's Albuquerque headquarters that destroyed its entrance and drew accusations of hate-motivated vandalism.
Other incidents referenced in coverage include attacks on Tesla dealerships and charging stations, physical confrontations at congressional town halls that led some Republican lawmakers to cancel events, and assaults on pro-life activists. Turning Point USA chapters reported being attacked at campus events, including an incident in April at the University of California, Davis in which the group said protesters destroyed gear, flipped tables and assaulted staff.
The review traced politically charged violence back further, noting attacks on churches and pro-life centers that followed the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision in 2022, and recalling the 2017 shooting that wounded then-House Majority Whip Steve Scalise at a congressional baseball practice.
Advocates and law enforcement said the atmosphere around politicized events has become more dangerous, but officials investigating specific incidents have emphasized that motives and connections must be established through evidence. The FBI image released in the Kirk investigation is part of the agency's effort to identify and locate potential witnesses or suspects; authorities have not publicly announced charges in the case at this time.
Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012 and became a prominent conservative commentator and campus organizer. His April post framed the rise in violent rhetoric as a consequence of broader protest tactics and a permissive environment among some institutions and local officials.
Reporting on the broader pattern has cited a mix of criminal incidents, violent rhetoric online and confrontations at public events. Officials at the federal and local levels have said investigations into individual attacks and threats are ongoing, and several states and localities have increased security at political events and at sites that have been targeted.
Media accounts of Kirk's online warnings and the subsequent investigation into his death have drawn attention from leaders across the political spectrum. Some critics cited by reporters have described Kirk as a provocative figure whose rhetoric attracted strong reactions; supporters and others have used his death to argue that political rhetoric and tolerance for violent language must be addressed to reduce risks to public figures.
Law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the shooting at Utah Valley University. Officials have urged anyone with information to come forward and have not released a motive. As investigations proceed, the incident is part of a wider debate about political discourse, protest tactics and public safety that lawmakers, campus administrators and law enforcement officials say they are watching closely.