Nick Fuentes, a prominent figure on the far right, called for calm and disavowed violent action by his followers after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at a university event.
Fuentes, 27, who has been barred from Turning Point USA events and other conservative gatherings, went live Thursday night and described Kirk’s death as a "tragedy." He said he was not a friend or fan of Kirk and noted their longstanding rivalry, but added to his followers: "To all of my followers if you take up arms, I disavow you. I disown you. In the strongest possible terms. That is not what we're about." Fuentes has been described as a Holocaust denier and a white supremacist in media reports.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University and collapsed at the podium, officials said. The main suspect, identified by authorities as Utah native Tyler Robinson, was turned over to law enforcement by his family, officials said Friday. Police said Robinson inscribed messages on bullets that referenced internet culture and anti-fascist sentiments before firing the shot that killed Kirk.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement that, during a conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned that Kirk was scheduled to appear at the university and that family members had discussed disliking Kirk and his viewpoints. "They talked about why they didn’t like [Kirk] and the viewpoints that he had," Cox said. Prosecutors and investigators have said Robinson had become more political in recent years.
A clip of Fuentes from last month resurfaced after the arrest. In it, Fuentes urged supporters to protest and disrupt Kirk at public events, saying Kirk should not be allowed to "go to one more public event, without being protested, without being shouted down." Fuentes has criticized Kirk as too moderate for the far right and accused him of not taking sufficiently hardline positions on immigration and other issues.
Fuentes’s followers, known as "Groypers," have a history of confronting mainstream conservative figures at Turning Point events. Some supporters have used the acronym "RKD4NJF," which stands for "rape, kill and die for Nicholas Joseph Fuentes," language Fuentes condemned indirectly in his Thursday remarks by urging followers not to resort to violence.
President Donald Trump, who has allied with many conservative activists including Kirk, said he wants to see the suspect face the death penalty and described Kirk as the "finest person." Kirk, a father of two, built a national profile by organizing campus events and debates advocating conservative and pro-MAGA positions.
Kirk's death has prompted a federal and local law enforcement investigation into motive and circumstances. Authorities have not released a full timeline of the suspect’s actions leading up to the shooting or charged motive-related counts beyond the criminal charges tied to the shooting. Police said the suspect’s family contacted authorities after growing suspicious and handed him over to law enforcement.
Fuentes’s public disavowal of violent retaliation follows years of friction between him and mainstream conservative leaders. He was banned from Turning Point USA events in 2019 after clashes with Kirk and has been excluded from national conservative gatherings such as the Conservative Political Action Conference. Even as some conservative figures gained influence in Republican circles, Fuentes remained on the fringe.
Investigators continue to gather evidence; prosecutors will determine potential charges and penalties as the case moves forward. Kirk’s death has generated responses across the political spectrum and intensified scrutiny of political rhetoric and extremism on and off college campuses.