The Murder of Right-Wing Activist Charlie Kirk was not only a personal tragedy for his supporters but also a moment that instantly acquired political significance. The reaction to his death quickly went beyond mourning speeches: it became part of a campaign, a tool of pressure, and a pretext for new political moves reshaping the balance of power in Washington.
The funeral of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk served as the symbolic launch of Donald Trump’s new campaign. The White House is seeking to turn public outrage over his killing into an instrument of pressure against opponents and a means of consolidating control.
The president blamed “radical leftists” and demanded that certain movements, including “Antifa,” be designated as terrorist organizations, though no evidence linking them to Kirk’s death was presented.
Donald Trump and his son Eric at State Farm Stadium during the farewell ceremony for Charlie Kirk.
At the same time, the administration is weighing measures against the nonprofit sector—even the withdrawal of tax exemptions. Trump’s allies, for their part, are trying to discredit the Democratic Party by branding it extremist. According to experts, this is shaping a model of state-driven “cancel culture” directed against the president’s opponents, mirroring what was once applied to him and his supporters.
The Murder of Charlie Kirk
The First Shot of a Civil War?
How Charlie Kirk’s Killing Escalates America’s Ideological Confrontation and Shapes Its Foreign Policy
Murder of Charlie Kirk Unites His Supporters on Utah Campus
Turning Point USA Students Say They Will Take Responsibility for the Future of the Movement
One example of such a backlash was the case of the show Jimmy Kimmel Live. After the host devoted several episodes to criticizing Trump’s attempts to extract political advantage from Kirk’s death, his monologues spread across social media and sparked heated debate. Kimmel mocked the president’s remarks, insisting that exploiting the tragedy served only to mobilize the electorate. The program was soon taken off the air—a decision many observers linked to pressure from the White House and Trump’s allies.
On the same day, Trump publicly demanded that Attorney General Pam Bondi urgently bring cases against several of his political opponents—among them New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey, and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff. “They are damn guilty,” the president declared.