US: murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk
The right-wing conservative US podcaster and activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during an appearance at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Kirk was close to US President Donald Trump and the founder of the organisation Turning Point USA, which is active at schools and universities. Trump blamed the left for Kirk's death. How dangerous is the tense atmosphere in the US?
He was able to move the masses
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung explains the key role Kirk played in the US's conservative camp:
“It was thanks to one man in particular that Donald Trump was able to attract an astonishingly high number of young voters in 2024, as the president himself said: Charlie Kirk. The charismatic fast-talker built up a movement [Turning Point USA] that made conservatism palatable to young people with the help of bombastic parties, pop music playlists and, of course, incendiary speeches against the left, foreigners, trans people and in favour of the traditional family, the Bible, personal responsibility and make-America-great-again patriotism. His organisation has campus chapters at 850 colleges. Millions followed him, even worshipped him.”
Trump adding fuel to the fire
US expert and journalist Frans Verhagen condemns Trump's reaction and predicts an escalation in NRC:
“Trump himself fuelled the hatred by blaming the radical left. ... I think a moment [of bloody confrontation between the military and protesters] is inevitable, and then the president will take advantage of it to put the whole country under martial law and suspend the rule of law. Political leaders should be the ones to contain the fire and hold the country together, not the ones fuelling it. The only person who would be able to do that in the America of 2025, President Trump, is failing in his duty.”
A disastrous interpretation of freedom of speech
The US must reconsider the extent to which it allows freedom of speech, Le Soir advises:
“We cannot avoid questioning the unrestricted freedom of expression enshrined in the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which places no limits on racism, incitement to hatred or antisemitism – whereas such 'limits' do exist in our countries. This freedom of expression allows for excesses, lynchings and stigmatisation.”
US at risk of paralysis
Charlie Kirk's murder could also have foreign policy implications, fears Politiken:
“What Trump and the MAGA movement overlook is that violence often emanates from far-right groups and individuals. Just last June, Democratic politician Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed by an assailant. ... This is not to relativise the Kirk murder. But it reflects an America that, in the words of the Wall Street Journal, is a divided nation at risk of becoming even more divided. It could even lead to a political paralysis that undermines the United States' ability to deal with a world in turmoil.”