Charlie Kirk, age 31, was shot dead on September 10 at Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah. Founder and CEO of Turning Point USA (a right-wing political organization aimed at the youth), Kirk was known for his open public debates as well as his allyship with President Trump. Kirk was shot in the neck and became limp on stage in front of the panicked and scarred students of Utah Valley University. He was taken to Timpanogos Regional Hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Mr. Nicolosi, history and government teacher at West Morris Central, defines political violence as “being killed for a particular point of view that relates somehow to political party, political identity, or government policy, something along those lines.” Charlie Kirk was not actively creating violence, planning physical harm towards others, or directly making the United States a less safe country which makes this murder a clear example of political violence.
This act of political violence is an attack on the First Amendment: Freedom of Speech. This principle is what this nation should be built on, but instead, freedom of speech is constantly ambushed with many cases of political journalists and those in government or positions of influence being silenced. This recent brutality clearly demonstrated the rising epidemic of political violence in America. Nicolosi feels that historically, Americans have seen this behavior. “WW1 because of the archduke assassination for political reasons, you can argue Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, Malcolm X,” Nicolosi said. All these examples were assassinations dealing with differing beliefs between the victim and the attacker.
In recent years, the issue resurfaced with the failed assassination attempt on President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024. This attack then became a blame game between the Democratic and Republican parties, but it isn’t just Republican figures falling victim to these crimes. On April 13, 2025, the Democratic govt. In Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro had his residence set ablaze while he and his family were sleeping inside. In response to this ongoing arson case, as well as the tragic death of Kirk, Shapiro said at The Fifth Eradicate Hate Global Summit, “It is all wrong, and it makes us all less safe. During moments like these, I believe we have a responsibility to be clear and unequivocal in calling out all forms of political violence, making clear it is all wrong…That shouldn’t be hard to do.”
In recent years, lawmakers in Congress and judges nationwide have faced a new surge in threats. In 2020, there was a very public kidnapping plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as well as a man who broke into the home of ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to attack her husband with a hammer in 2022. Just 4 months ago, Minnesota Congresswoman Melissa Hortman, as well as her husband (and dog), were in their Brooklyn Park home when they were shot by a man disguised as a local police officer. This frightful scene turned out to be yet another attack on political standings. Hortman was fighting for community solar laws, K-12 education funding, higher education, energy, and the environment, as well as equity and inclusion. Later that very morning, democratic Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also targeted and shot by the same individual, but luckily survived after hours of surgery.
Even more so, on October 4, 2025, the home of South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein was set on fire after she had reportedly received death threats. The fire occurred while Judge Goodstein was not in the building, but at least two members of her family were. This included her husband (former Democratic state senator Arnold Goodstein) and their son, who, since the incident, have both been hospitalized with serious injuries. No information has been confirmed, but it is suspected that it was yet another politically charged act. In September 2025, Judge Goodstein issued a temporary injunction that blocked the release of South Carolina’s voting files to President Trump’s Justice Department. The South Carolina State Supreme Court overturned her ruling. Posts on social media questioned whether the fire was an act of arson meant to target the judge herself for ruling against the president.
Political violence at its core is a rejection of democracy. If a person has used violence to achieve a political goal, then they’ve given up on the democratic process. In Why is politically motivated violence on the rise in the U.S.?– Hannah Robbins states, “The simple solution is better, more responsible leadership. But it’s difficult because our leaders are incentivized to use inflammatory language. Politicians get more attention, and media outlets know that if they have conflict-oriented language, they can get more clicks and sell more ads.”
Part of the issue is the violent rhetoric coming from the president himself. During a segment of “Fox and Friends” Trump blatantly stated, “The radicals on the left are the problem.” Trump continued, “and they’re vicious and they’re horrible and they’re politically savvy.” Not only is this adding fuel to the fire of America’s division and misinformation problem, but it is also endorsing said political violence towards those on the left.
In response to the death of Kirk specifically, Trump said in a video message the following Wednesday night, “My administration will 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, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.” Although this sounds like a great memo to send out pertaining to the safety of those in power, one can only assume he isn’t talking about any party other than his own, considering his reaction towards the assassination of Congresswoman Hortman and his lack of support for Minnesota Sen. Hoffman’s family. Not a single call nor statement was made to offer condolences on the loss, and on top of that, he chose not to attend the joint funeral of the Hortman family.
Why now?- The rise of these acts stems from anger and conspiracy theories, which can almost all be tied to social media. With modern media, access to information makes it possible for misinformation as well as a plethora of opinions to spread like wildfire. Rather than letting ideas that correspond with their own morals go, radicals on both sides feed into it on social media, leading to anger, making matters worse. At a time of extreme left and extreme right, what’s most concerning is the lack of sympathy on both sides, as well as how easily hate speech spreads to dangerous audiences over the media. Once this violence begins, it only fuels itself.
