Charlie Kirk, the conservative firebrand and founder of Turning Point USA, has died after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University, according to multiple media reports.
President Donald Trump also announced Kirk’s death, writing on Truth Social, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.” A broad and bipartisan chorus of voices rose to condemn the seeming act of political violence.
Vice President JD Vance posted a photo of him with Kirk, writing “Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom posted that the attack was “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” moments after news broke. “In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.”
On Fox News, still the standard bearer for the conservative media landscape from which Kirk rose, there was an added element of proximity. Kirk was a frequent presence on the network’s shows, appearing on Will Cain’s program as recently as Tuesday. Immediately after the channel broke the news of Kirk’s shooting to viewers, contributor Jason Chaffetz, the former Utah congressman, called into the network with an eyewitness account, having been in attendance at Kirk’s America’s Comeback tour which started on Wednesday.
“I was watching Charlie,” Chaffetz said after catching his breath from running away from the scene to safety. “I can’t say that I saw blood. I can’t say that I saw him get hit, but I did see him fall immediately backwards into his left. And I can just hope and pray that somehow he survives that.”
When former FBI special agent and Fox News contributor, Nicole Parker, joined the network in the immediate aftermath of the attack, she also turned to prayer first, telling viewers “That is all we have right now. We have the power of prayer.” Parker mentioned an “absolutely horrifying,” video of the shooting that was already circulating on social media, which she urged the audience not to watch, though it will “be key for law enforcement to have all of that video as evidence.”
She relayed that a witness told her that just prior to the attack, a question was asked by one of the attendees about how many school shootings had been carried out by transgender people in the last decade, “And then the next thing you know, the witness heard a gunshot.”
A pair of witnesses on the scene in Utah were also caught by Fox reporters with cameras, one who said while she heard the victim was a “pretty big influencer,” she wasn’t sure what happened. “I really don’t want this to happen again,” she continued. The other witness chimed in, adding “I think the focus of this should probably be on, probably supporting some sort of gun control, or something like that, so that things like this can’t happen.” Fox played the clip at least two more times after it first aired.
Retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor Paul Morrow then joined the breaking news coverage by phone, taking a moment to reflect on how close of a call this was when Trump was campaigning in July, 2024. This attack, “shows you how lucky we got in Butler when you consider the horrific video that’s going around relative to Poor Mr. Kirk,” Morrow said.
Sage Steele drew a similar comparison when she joined later in Fox News’s programming, saying “I guess we shouldn’t be shocked because of what has happened over the last 13 months and July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, and so many things since then.”
“This is what they want. This is what the evil side wants. They want to scare us into submission,” she said, raising her eyebrows to the camera.
As the 4 p.m. hour started, anchor Will Cain continued the breaking news coverage, noting that Kirk was in critical condition. Cain immediately got emotional, wondering out loud how to go on with hosting the show when this has happened to someone he was texting with yesterday and was “on this show 24 hours ago.” Cain continued, “The only answer is, you do not do a show. You be a human being.”
Cain then led a “moment of silence and prayer” for both the newsroom and the audience, which was asked to be featured during Cain’s show by the communications director of Turning Point USA, in honor of Kirk.
“We hope you join,” Cain pleaded with the audience.
Throughout the rolling coverage, Fox News hosts wondered how much more political violence could possibly be tolerated in America, seemingly asking the audience where to go from here.
When it fell to him to announce Kirk’s death on air, Cain told the audience that it was his “great dishonor,” to confirm the worst. As the announcement was made, Cain’s voice nearly broke down at multiple moments.
“He was loved and admired by all, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” the anchor said.
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