The world is still in shock over the assassination of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He was tragically shot dead on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk was only 31 years-old. His assassin was finally apprehended on Friday after a massive two day manhunt.
In the days since Kirk’s brutal murder, the silence from much of Hollywood has been deafening. That’s why it came as a welcome surprise when the former Tonight Show host Jay Leno just spoke out to pay tribute to Kirk. In fact, Leno went so far as to say that Kirk’s murder represents the “death of free speech” in America.
‘It’s The Death Of Free Speech…’
“It’s not a random shooting,” Leno, 75, said of Kirk’s assassination. He made these comments while calling in to The Tim Conway Jr. Show in Los Angeles.
“I mean, it’s the death of free speech, to think that you are so illiterate and so stupid you can’t answer verbally, and you have to shoot somebody with a gun to win the argument,” he added.
Host Tim Conway was quick to agree. He pointed out that Kirk was the father of a 3 year-old daughter and a 1 year-old son. Conway lamented that Kirk’s children will be exposed to the graphic video footage of their father being shot for the rest of their lives.
“His young kids … they’re going to be watching the internet forever and accidentally running across that footage,” Conway said. “Because their last name is Kirk, and 20 years from now they’ll be putting their name in and that Charlie Kirk video will come up. That’s what they have to look forward to their whole lives. It’s horrible. It’s the worst.”
‘This Is A Political Assassination…’
Leno feels the same way. He believes that Kirk’s assassination highlights just how far America has strayed from a time when people could have political arguments in a civil manner. During his time at Emerson College in the 1970s, Leno remembers debates between intellectuals like James Baldwin and William F. Buckley drawing packed audiences made up of people on all sides of the political spectrum.
“Those days are gone,” Leno said.
“This is a political assassination of a man who I didn’t necessarily agree with, but I certainly enjoyed listening to,” he continued. “Because, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that, okay’ — and I didn’t have to agree on everything [with Kirk]. I mean, we’re at a point in this country where, if you don’t agree with everybody on everything, you take out a gun and you shoot them?”
Conway concluded the segment by predicting that Kirk’s voice won’t be silenced by his murder.
“I think this is going to have the exact opposite effect that the shooter wanted,” Conway said. “I think this movement of Charlie Kirk’s is going to explode.”
Kirk’s History
Kirk was only 18 years-old when he founded Turning Point USA back in 2012. This is a conservative organization that is popular on college campuses around the country. Kirk was known for playing a huge role in mobilizing young voters to vote for Donald Trump in last year’s presidential election.
“One of the reasons why we got Trump is Charlie Kirk,” the former Fox News host Megyn Kelly said after Kirk’s death. “We all play our part in some small way, but there is no denying the effect Charlie Kirk had on this election.”
President Trump took to Truth Social to honor Kirk immediately after his assassination was announced.
“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump wrote. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
What happened to Kirk is nothing short of horrifying, and should be universally condemned regardless of politics. We applaud Leno for taking the time to honor Kirk’s memory when so many of his fellow celebrities are staying silent.
Kirk is survived by his wife Erika and by their two young children. Please join us in saying a prayer for them.
Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk.