We spoke to several interlocutors, mainly diplomats, who responded to the murder of Charlie Kirk and the despicable statements that followed, as well as to the polarisation of American society. We were interested in where all this is leading. They believe that political violence and primitivism must be rejected. This has no place in American and Western society. It distances us from democracy and Western values.
Charlie Kirk, an influential figure in American conservative circles, was fatally shot at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday. The incident occurred during his speech on the American Comeback Tour, organised by the local chapter of his organisation, Turning Point USA (TPUSA).
Many are leaving the Democratic Party
His death has greatly disturbed the American, European, and global public. While some radical leftists are celebrating his death, many are announcing that they are leaving the Democratic Party or that they will no longer vote for the Democrats.
Fired professors and political commentators …
There have also been reports that several educational institutions, including universities, have fired employees for inappropriate responses to Kirk’s death. The Hill also reports on this. For example, the University of Mississippi fired some of its employees. The same fate befell individuals at the University of Tennessee . A teacher in Texas also lost her job due to inappropriate comments. Similar reports are coming from Wachusett Regional High School in Massachusetts, where two employees were suspended.
Commentator Matthew Dowd was also fired from MSNBC. Some alleged members of the Democratic Party also celebrated Kirk’s death and lost their jobs. The media mentions Amanda Macy from the state of Virginia. Ashley Creekbaum, a firefighter from New Orleans (Louisiana), has also come under scrutiny. The fire department where she works issued a press release condemning her actions. The Carolina Panthers (a club that plays in the American National Football League) fired its public relations officer, Charlie Rock, for inappropriate comments.
We asked Vladimir Kolmanič, former deputy ambassador to Washington, for a comment on the impact of the assassination on social and political events for our media outlet. He said the following: “The matter is very complex. Fundamental changes have been taking place in the USA over the past week. And this latest event is only the culmination of these recent developments. The consequences are difficult to predict, but in principle, they are twofold.” One consequence is that the MAGA movement (young people from the conservative segment of the American population, Republican voters) has lost such an eminent figure and influential person as Kirk. He had millions of followers every day (young people who have been leaning more towards the Democrats in recent years and decades). Partial changes already appeared in 2016, but especially in 2020, when a surprisingly large proportion of young people voted for the Republicans, including minorities who had previously been Democrat-leaning.
“Of course, it will not be easy to replace a personality such as Kirk, because it takes time, charisma, experience, etc. However, Republicans have several similar movements and annual events where such personalities are profiled,” added Kolmanič. Kolmanič’s impression is that the responses are mostly condemning the killing – including the official part of the US Congress policy (politicians observed a minute of silence). Most Democratic representatives also condemned the killing. The mainstream liberal media also joined in the condemnation, although they were initially cautious. In some segments, they even reported positively on Kirk. Fox News, which is expanding its reach, has undoubtedly expressed its support for Kirk. President Donald Trump, known for his fierce fight against illegal immigration and crime, skilfully exploited the incident. He promised to prevent such events in the future and attacked “crazy leftists” or “lunatics.”
He also used the issue at a New York Yankees game. He appeared in person at a packed stadium, where a minute of silence was observed in memory of Kirk, which was seen by tens of millions of people (perhaps even 100 million), etc. For now, everything is moving in the direction of pacifying the political arena. Almost everyone condemns the act and emphasises that it is unacceptable and not in the spirit of American democracy and tradition – that opponents should be killed, etc. It should also be noted that Kirk used the rhetoric of dialogue. He advocated the belief that, despite disagreements, it is necessary to talk. And at the time of his murder, he was engaged in dialogue with students. “At this moment, I would say that this will work in favour of Trump’s Republicans, who are calling for calm and absolutely oppose any political violence. It is likely that Trump’s administration and the MAGA movement have a good hand to play (especially if they move in the direction of calm and dialogue).” The diplomat recalled another political gesture – flags at half-mast – while Trump sent the vice president’s plane (with James David Vance and his wife on board) with the coffin of the deceased to Arizona, Kirk’s hometown.
There, the vice-presidential couple also met with the widow of the deceased. The event was well covered by the media. It was a nice gesture. It is true that some individuals in the USA reacted negatively to the event or to the deceased, but there were immediate consequences. Many lost their jobs. The case coincides with another event – the murder of a young Ukrainian migrant, Iryna Zarutskaya (on a subway train), who was stabbed in the neck from behind by a dark-skinned man (there was no communication between them beforehand). People nearby were too afraid to do anything, and she died. Kolmanič: “And now she has become a real martyr. Trump and his administration have used this again. It should be noted that all the other people on the train were members of racial minorities. She was the only white person. And no one protected her, no one did anything.” Now there have been sharp condemnations and ideas from Elon Musk & Co. to publicly promote her image (i.e., a person who fled Russian aggression to “safety” in the USA and was killed there). Musk & Co. would like to paint her image on the facades of numerous buildings. This would remind the public of what happened. The Trump administration used the case to fight violence and crime.
Lawyer and diplomat Božo Cerar also commented on the event: “As far as I know, the motive for this act is not yet known. In any case, this is a very serious event that shows how deep the polarisation (not to say hatred) in American society is, which will probably be further deepened by this killing. The assassination must be strongly condemned. Disagreement with certain views should never be expressed in this way. A political opponent cannot be seen as some kind of existential threat. There can be no tolerance for violence as a political tool. The consequences of the assassination will be felt in both the USA and Europe.
It is difficult to say whether the USA will emerge from this with reflection and an attempt to improve public dialogue, or whether this will lead to even greater violence. There will be a strong dilemma, I think, also in our country, whether to take measures against certain rhetoric or speech that someone does not like, or to protect freedom of speech. Politics should not be mixed with violence. Political violence is a cancer for democracy. Political differences are characteristic of democracy. However, it is essential that these are resolved through informed and civilised debate, compromise, and elections.”
Commentary by Dimitrij Rupel, a long-time diplomat and politician: “As I see from the published data, this is not a matter that would have international implications, but rather a domestic political, even academic/university debate that ended in a pathological way. This was less common in the USA in the past, but we must not forget the fierce clashes that took place in the past over the rights of black people, women, etc. This is hysteria caused by all kinds of simplifications that turn ideological opposition and competition into cultural warfare, physical clashes, etc. Slovenia does not have the power to stop such confrontation everywhere in the world.
Even in Slovenia, there are signs of radicalism and harsh words, divisions between enemies and friends. This is the fate of politics, which can be tamed primarily by the media. Social networks encourage primitive speech; people read less and less, and do not understand each other. A major reform of education and the eradication of primitivism are needed. American Republicans, and in Slovenia, members of the Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda) and leftists, currently feel that they are allowed more than ever before, and the authorities are allowing it. We will all have to wait for the elections and the slow, persistent penetration of thoughtful, long-term politics.”
Finally, we obtained the opinion of Dr Igor Kovač, a researcher at the Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy at the University of Cincinnati: “Inappropriate, insensitive, and uncivilised responses are in the minority. Cenk Uygur, a well-known Democratic analyst, also made an exceptional statement and appeal to the roots of Western civilisation – that we do not respond to disagreement with violence. So, many of the repulsive posts on social media are also the work of so-called bots, which are operated by other countries (Iran, Russia, China) in order to destabilise the USA internally. At the same time, we must be aware that this is a process of intensification, meaning that uncivilised barbarism is a statistically significant phenomenon. The first question in the USA is what the Democrats will do: will they follow the path of the aforementioned Uyghur and others, such as Senator Fetterman, and return to the Western civilised left, or will they follow the path of radical barbarism? Unfortunately, I think that, as with the assassination attempts on President Trump and Congressman Scalise, they will adopt a strategy of postponing this decision.
So, condemn the actions and call for calm in the first week after the event, then return to the established pattern of labelling Republicans as dictators and totalitarians. This shift is the result of the party being taken over by its radical wing. There will be two key changes in American society: first, public gatherings, especially those on university campuses, will become much more heavily guarded. Second, there will be a growing awareness in society that freedom of speech is not a given and that, just as 250 years ago, we have to pay for it – financially and procedurally. Something similar to what happened after the terrorist attacks, when we accepted that stricter security checks were necessary to board a plane. I hope that this last point will be a lesson for Europe. We must not only defend the foundations of Western civilisation, but also nurture them. Freedom of speech and non-violence in disagreement are key. As Voltaire wrote long ago, ‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it’.”
Domen Mezeg
