On September 10th, in front of more than 3,000 students at Utah Valley University, conservative political activist, public speaker, and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump Charlie Kirk was shot in the head while hosting a public debate. What followed was a shockwave that spread far beyond the U.S.: news outlets worldwide covered the incident, social media platforms exploded, and discussions about political violence re-emerged. Not only because of the politically violent act itself, but because of the bigger question that it raised: Is open political debate still possible in a climate where the divide between opponents seems to grow among citizens? And what consequences does this have if it is not?

From campus debates to national influence

Kirk was a controversial conservative figure with millions of followers on social media and one of the most listened-to podcasts, discussing his outspoken support of Donald Trump’s hard-line positions on issues like immigration, religion, and gun laws. Because of some of his standpoints, including questioning the value of diversity programs, rejecting the constitutional principle of church-state separation, defending gun rights at the cost of annual deaths, and opposing abortion in all cases, Kirk was contested by a large group of Americans. Critics believed his opinions on race and gender to be outdated and unfair (1). At the same time, he was admired, mostly by conservative youth, as he turned conservatism into something aspirational (2). This made him both a highly influential as well as a deeply contested voice in American politics (3).

At the same time, Kirk willingly debated his opponents in public. At the age of 18, he founded ‘Turning Point USA’, an organization that grew into a powerful conservative youth movement. Through it, he toured the U.S. and international campuses, debating students on issues like climate change, faith, and family values, with the invitation to “prove him wrong”. The Utah Valley University was the first stop on a planned 15-event tour of college campuses, where college attendees are invited to openly argue with Kirk (4). His aim of these tours: to engage in conversations with people who stand in direct opposition to him (5) (6) (7). Earlier that year, Kirk warned that “Campuses have become a place where everyone looks different, but thinks exactly the same”. In his view, avoiding differences was “the biggest threat”, one he sought to counter through these college debates (8).

Two days after the assassination, police arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was claimed to have been politically radicalized. While his direct motives remain unclear, gunmarks indicate texts that marked “Fascist, catch.”, “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.” (LMAO stands for “laughing my ass off.”), and three downward arrows, a symbol of the radical left-wing Antifa (9) (10) (11).

Violence against dissent: a painfully familiar pattern

While Charlie Kirk’s assassination has dominated news feeds and social media platforms over the past few weeks, political violence is nothing new. And while Trump framed it as a threat to the ‘right’, the ‘left’ has faced similar assaults. Historic examples include Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy. More recent examples include the murder of two Democratic parliamentarians in Minnesota and a near-successful assassination attempt on presidential candidate Donald Trump last year (12) (13). Political violence is not only lethal. In the Netherlands, for example, Sigrid Kaag, at that time political leader of ‘D66’, was confronted at her home by a man carrying a burning torch. Nitrogen minister Christianne van der Wal experienced angry farmers visiting her home, and minister Hugo de Jonge received so many threats that police set up a post outside his house (14). Political violence stretches from Germany to Colombia, and from America to the Netherlands. The cases of Pim Fortuyn (2002), Theo van Gogh (2004), and Els Borst (2014) are still fresh in the minds of most Dutch citizens (15) (16) (17).

According to journalist Victor Pak, “Using violence to achieve political goals is becoming increasingly normalized”, and besides the physical danger, this normalization specifically in the U.S. is feared to erode the country’s core values (18) (19) (20).

When death becomes a victory - or - political statement

As indicated above, political violence has been rising for years, but reactions to such acts vary widely. Many of Kirk’s ideological opponents, including Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and in the Netherlands, Rob Jetten, immediately condemned the murder and stressed the importance of maintaining a safe democratic debate (21). At the same time, a segment of young left-wing TikTokers and a few students celebrated the act, posting on social media that he “deserved it”, with some framing it ironically, given Kirk’s own advocacy for gun rights (22).

In the days following the assassination, President Trump intensified his rhetoric against “the radical left,” framing the attack as part of a broader pattern of left-wing violence while omitting similar attacks against conservatives, and threatening to punish or fire those who expressed controversial opinions after Kirk’s death (23) (24).

These responses in public discourse exposed deep divides in perceptions and actions of political figures, deepening polarization, and reinforcing divisions between political sides (25). Journalist Frans Verhagen argues that political leaders should instead, “Be the ones to calm the flames and hold things together - rising above party lines for the greater good (26).”

The overarching issue: threat to the political debate

Although political violence is not something new, researchers say the danger in the U.S. is increasing, since many Americans feel their system is not working. In a survey by Bright Line Watch, a research group of American political scientists, 2 percent of Democrats and 3 percent of Republicans said they approve of violence against leaders of the opposing party. That number rises to as much as 10 percent when they believe leaders are implementing “harmful policies.” (27). Additionally, Polls from the 1990s show that over 90 percent of the U.S. population was opposed to political violence at the time. A few years ago, that number had dropped to 60 percent. These trends suggest a growing acceptance of violence as a means to achieve political goals, which is a concerning development (28).

Yet to understand the current climate, it is important to acknowledge that political violence not confined to one side of the spectrum. While Trump and his allies framed Kirk’s killing as an example of ‘radical left-wing violence,’ Trump and Kirk themselves have also repeatedly fueled polarization. Perhaps the clearest example is the storming of the Capitol on January 6th, after Trump lost the 2021 elections, killing 5 people and injuring more than 140 police officers (29) (30). Another example closer to home is the riots in The Hague on Saturday, September 20, 2025, where demonstrators protesting against asylum policies caused €34,000 in damage to the office of political party ‘D66’ (31).

The assassination of a political figure has shown the ability to push not only Americans but people worldwide into stark polarization. This polarization is further fueled by certain media outlets labeling opposing views as normalized extremes (32) (33).

Two days after Kirk’s assassination at a Bob Vylan concert in Paradiso, a music venue in Amsterdam, this labeling polarization was on full display. During the concert, the band called “to find the fascists and zionists on the street” and jubilated the assassination of Charlie Kirk, with loud enthusiasm from its audience. The reviewer explained that “Through this discourse, the audience and artist found common ground - not only in musical enthusiasm, but also in their convictions” (34).

The mentality across these discourses seems to be: if you disagree with someone, you can simply attack or even kill them (35). With this acceptance of political violence and the dehumanization of those you oppose, journalists, politicians, and citizens face increasing threats when expressing opinions, narrowing the space for open public debate. Perhaps the greatest danger is not disagreement itself, but the erosion of safe spaces for speech.

Reclaiming humanity in our democratic principles

What is missing in much of the current rhetoric, according to columnist Kustaw Bessems, is the recognition that one does not need to personally sympathize with political figures to understand that political murder is an attack on democratic values. Democracy is fragile and must be defended through free speech and open discourse, even with people you may strongly disagree with (36). With more acts of political violence, our principle of free expression seems to increasingly be under threat (37).

Words are too often treated as weapons, equated with hate speech or “dangerous opinions” to be censored, while in reality, it is the silencing of speech that fuels violence. We tend to point fingers and label the opposing side as “evil”, stripping them of their humanity. When we allow political violence to dehumanize and eradicate open conversation, violence begins (38). As politically diverse societies, we must realize that to debate ideas freely, to speak your mind without fear of violence, is what distinguishes democracy from tyranny and is the foundation on which liberal democratic tradition is built (39). That is why the alternative to political murder cannot be more suppression, but rather more conversation, meaning genuine exchange that leaves space for humanity (40).

The reactions to Kirk’s serve as a stark reminder that political disagreement must never become a death sentence. They remind us that human connection matters within democracy (41). We can profoundly disagree with one another and still jointly aim to defend thát very right. Cause the real victory is not in silencing voices, but in preserving the space to engage with them respectfully, critically, and humanely (42). Shall we?

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Sources:

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