Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah yesterday at just 31 years old. The conservative firebrand was gunned down during the kickoff of his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University, struck in the neck by a sniper’s bullet while engaging young Americans in his signature Q&A sessions.
As we’ve reported previously, the liberal media’s reaction to the shooting was deplorable, with commentators taking to the airwaves with disgusting observations, such as comments from MSNBC contributor Matthew Dowd, who effectively blamed Kirk for being shot. It was, of course, predictable that the mainstream media would trash him.
Sadly, the print media was no better.
The New York Times wrote an obituary for Charlie Kirk that was a political attack piece in every possible sense. Instead of highlighting his enormous influence on young conservatives and the movement he built from nothing, the so-called paper of record downplayed his accomplishments and zeroed in on criticisms of his politics.
Rather than treating Kirk as a husband, father, and activist murdered in front of thousands, the Times painted him as a “hard right” “provocateur” who spread misinformation, essentially framing him as someone who brought controversy on himself.
He quickly became a fixture in the Trumpian media sphere. He tweeted relentlessly with a brash right-wing spin, including inflammatory comments about Jewish, gay and Black people. Even some conservatives found his approach distasteful, but not Mr. Trump: One sign of Mr. Kirk’s ascendance was how often Mr. Trump retweeted him.
The paper even sought to smear him by association.
Mr. Kirk was far from the only young face to emerge in the Trump movement. But whereas activists like Nick Fuentes and Milo Yiannopoulos went too far too early in their embrace of baldly racist and homophobic ideas, Mr. Kirk had an innate polish and was able to tack quickly among far-right activists, establishment Republicans and skeptical young voters.
By dragging Fuentes and Yiannopoulos into the obituary, the Times is effectively lumping Kirk in with them, suggesting that he was part of the same toxic orbit but just was “savvier” about hiding it.
Following the 2020 election, Mr. Kirk led a “Stop the Steal” protest in Phoenix, embracing the false right-wing narrative that Mr. Trump had actually won the White House in his race against Joseph R. Biden Jr. He promised to send 80 “buses of patriots” to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021 — the day the election results were to be certified by Congress — to support the outgoing President Trump. Only about seven buses arrived.
Undaunted, Mr. Kirk was among the first to rally around Mr. Trump once he left office, traveling to Mar-a-Lago, his estate in Florida, to strategize a comeback. Like the president, Mr. Kirk sensed that the country was not done with Trumpism, and that they could use the new Biden administration as a foil.
Mr. Kirk grabbed hold of the opportunity with both hands. He created a new group, Turning Point Faith, to amplify the role of Christian nationalism within the Trump movement. He doubled down in his critique of the left, which he said had taken over campuses, corporate America and government.
The Times just couldn’t resist using Kirk’s obituary as another chance to brand a conservative leader with the ugliest labels they could find. The obituary essentially accuses Kirk of being a racist and an antisemite.
For our VIPs: Don’t Fall for Democrats' Fake Outrage Over Charlie Kirk's Murder
Charlie Kirk’s assassination was a tragedy, and the media’s grotesque response to his death only underscores why his work mattered so much. He was targeted in life and smeared in death because he was effective, because he inspired young conservatives, built institutions that challenged the left, and refused to back down. That is the legacy the New York Times and its allies cannot erase.
The mainstream media’s disgusting treatment of Charlie Kirk—even in death—proves they’ll stop at nothing to destroy conservatives who dare challenge their narrative. This is why conservative media is so important. You can support us by joining PJ Media VIP with promo code FIGHT for 60% off and access exclusive content that fights back against media lies. Don’t wait—join today!
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