By REP. DAVID EASTMAN
Today, I saw a great American, Charlie Kirk, assassinated live on camera while taking questions from students at Utah Valley University. He was 31. His wife Erika, their 4-year-old daughter, and 2-year-old son, now get to pick up the pieces. I do not recommend watching the video. It was a public execution.
I was proud to know Charlie as a peer. We were each Claremont Institute Fellows and were classmates in Claremont’s Telos Academy. Viriginia legislator Nick Freitas, another great American I am proud to know, put it this way:
“Charlie was the best of us. They didn’t murder Charlie Kirk because he was an extremist or a fascist or a threat to democracy or inciting violence, or any of the other reasons that they are now trying to put out on X and TikTok and everywhere else. They murdered him because he was effective. He was effective. The man made incredible arguments while at the same time always trying to seek out common humanity. He might have disagreed with arguments but he didn’t hate anyone. And they murdered him. That’s what happened.”
It now goes without saying that Charlie stood courageously on the front lines in today’s political scene. His wife and kids are now without a husband and father because he did so. We rightly honor our military veterans who served honorably on our behalf in our nation’s military. We do well to bestow similar honor on those few brave souls currently putting themselves in harm’s way by standing on behalf of their fellow countrymen in the political sphere.
Do not hear me to say that politicians are deserving of honor. Being elected is not a mark of courage in 2025. If anything, it is the mark of someone who has no courage. People get elected for many reasons, courage is not usually one of them. Those few who do have courage, and are standing on behalf of others, instead of themselves, are easy to pick out in 2025. I expect this to only be more true in the coming years.
Our current political establishment bears them unending antipathy. To have courage and to stand for someone or something other than yourself is incredibly destabilizing in a political environment like Juneau or DC where an honest politicians is one who, when he’s bought, stays bought.
In 2025, no political figure deserves honor who does not bear the mark of the antipathy that the reigning political establishment, both Democrat and Republican, invariably dish out.
Charlie bore that mark before he was assassinated. Do not honor him because of the manner of his death. Honor him because he was so courageous and so effective that they could find no better way to shut him up than to murder him. Rest in peace Charlie.
Rep. David Eastman represented the Mat-Su Valley in the Alaska House of Representatives from January 2017 to January 2025. Visit davideastman.org for more information.
Democrats are the party of violence. Conservatives need to be aware because when the liberals are losing they become violent. They have no moral or ethical values and they have no boundaries. They’re like spoiled, dangerous children.
Yeah no one right wing has never ever done nothing wrong or especially violent only the left
Tell us of a political assassination in living memory that was perpetrated by a conservative against a leftist.
Okay, the obvious ones are Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, John Kennedy, Malcom X, Medgar Evers.
If you need a more recent example: June, 2025, Vance Luther Boelter was charged with the murder of Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, in a case where Hortman was targeted due to her political affiliation.
2020: There was a plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, a Democratic governor, by a group of far right individuals.
Let us not pretend this is only happens one way. Judges are getting death threats for ruling against Trump’s executive orders. Poll workers and other election related workers got death threats after the 2020 election. The anger and hatred is high right now on the extremes of both sides. What happened to Charlie Kirk it horrible, and it is not only one side that thinks violence is the answer. Look at some of the comments on this site to see just how much hatred there is for people with different opinions on how we should run our country.
“2020: There was a plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, a Democratic governor, by a group of far right individuals.”
Let me correct you there, Matt. What I think you meant to say was:
“2020: There was a plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, a Democratic governor, by a group of FBI agents conducting a false flag operation.”
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No need to thank me, I am glad to help.
Oh please. Have you really gone that far into the deep end. Your comments are pretty off the wall, but this is just too much.
Proof of your claim please.
The speaker of the house of Minnesota. Remember her and the MAGA loon that killed her and her husband recently? Guess not.
Um, ever heard of Minnesota. It’s a state in the lower 48. MAGA nut kills Speaker of the House and her husband. It’s not one side. It’s our culture, and you’re a perfect example of that.
The murderer in that case was an APPOINTEE by TimWalz
I know!
While to disagree is disingenuous , would it be possible to have back your statement with a couple of examples? I’ll wait.
Not what PJ said or even implied.
Where is your evidence ?
I can think of 2 billion reasons (dollars) on “mostly peaceful protests” that the left has done. Not to mention flipping over and torching police cars. You were saying Che..? /s
How pathetic!
Your questionable claim of “the other side did it too” doesn’t fly. A wrong is still wrong and your attempt to excuse the murder of a person, who steadfastly supported YOUR right to spew the most obnoxious views, says everything about you!
I would further like to see you prove your claim.
Whataboutism is a lousy basis for an argument.
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Additional thought. When someone on the right commits an act of political violence, do people openly celebrate it? Where were the riots after Charlie Kirk’s murder? I did not see thousands of social media posts claiming that Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman deserved it.
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Show me where people on the right side of the political aisle encourage political violence against leftists to any measurable significance? Yes, there are nut jobs on both sides… but the widespread acceptance and encouragement of political violence is pretty much one sided.
I fully agree. We have become two peoples. Like a marriage gone bad we ought to split up the album collection and go our separate ways before the violence gets much much worse.
Heartfelt words David. I salute your courage sir.
Yea all of those rioters on January 6th, 2021 at the Capitol were Democrats, so easy to spot with their red MAGA gear
Let’s see. There are hundreds, if not thousands of examples of violence from the left. And… you have Jan 6th.
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Damn… I never knew the two sides of the political aisle were so similar. It is almost impossible to tell the difference.
Spot on in every way. Thank you David.
Thank you for the thoughtful article! Just listening to Charlie Kirk’s many conversations, he was a man with no fear but decent and open conversations never leading to harm to the person asking questions but clearly giving truth to the thought at hand and usually diffusing every situation in the question.
The world just heated up with this cruel act against him and his family. There are many of these fearless warriors that get side-lined with this type of destruction but this act has increased need to push on with stronger purpose. Shame on those who celebrated this event in our history today!!
The “party of tolerance” has once again exposed itself to be exactly the opposite of what it claims to be. While screaming the Right is intolerant, we see the Left tolerates no one who does not toe the line. Ironically, Charlie was once again “tolerating” those who disagreed with him and giving them a platform to present their best arguments. Ever see that from a left-wing speaker? Nope, we can’t tolerate allowing opposing views a platform, can we?
I will concede that the Right does not enjoy tolerating bad behavior like crime, but we tolerate opposing ideas.
Eventually, I hope more on the Left realize that living in this opposing dichotomy never ends well. And today, we see what it leads to. Our hearts go out to Erica and her two small ones who have lost much today.
Whats wrong Manny, Whidby ? Cat got your tongues? Cant stop laughing?
You did this evil deed. You and every other filthy democrat. The Mark of Cain is upon you. And it wont wash off.
See below, Citizenkane. I am, if anything, a pacifist. Direct your rage elsewhere, or better yet, forego it altogether.
Femocrats OWN this
Charlie Kirk was Americas role model if you are a freedom lover and understand those who would take it from us. At 31 years of age, his daughters will not remember the greatness of this man. It is the saddest of days as we work to try and turn our country back to traditional values and the rule of law. As a population , we have some shame to direct. Who should the shame be directed? Maybe to those who would advocate for violence and violent tactics. There are some political figures not worthy of their positions. Don’t forget to vote.
Words well spoken, David. And you should know. You were sued by Savannah Fletcher and her commie law outfit for speaking out and pursuing liberty. Too bad for Ms. Fletcher, who now has a terrible best of burden to confront.
Beast of burden, I think you meant to say. Actually, Fletcher is the Beast. 666.
Let’s honor Charlie Kirk’s legacy by naming a street in every city in the us after him!
I honor Mr Kirk for his alleged debate abilities and polite patience .
May Mankind see the violence in the heart of the left and stop associating .
The democrats supported slavery and murdered Abraham Lincoln . Let them be known by their actions.
Now they Murdered Charlie Kirk . Damaging his family and our nation.
I pray for his wife and children. A good Man left us.
The David Eastman case is a good example of peacefully taking away the soapbox of a right-wing nut, so hats off to MRAK for the reminder: elections work
To paraphrase my comments from the other day:
For sure, Far Right or Far Left agitation can be thrilling and titillating, and it definitely drives engagement. But such a activity brings out the worst in people and it sets us against each other. Ordinary citizens are TIRED OF ENDLESS POLITICAL WAR, waged solely for the vanity of politicians, for the benefit of media barons, and to pay the mortgages of pundits. People are coming to see that their sentiments and political viewpoints have been hijacked by the extreme media in the interest of eyeballs, clicks, and profits. We understand that we are being used as pawns in a game of political power acquisition, and we are pushing back.
I ask you, and I ask all Americans: Was the Country you love forged in a spirit of divisiveness and animosity, or was it born of cooperation and amity? Is the Country you want for your children to be one of endless anger, political war, and hostility? If so, well then keep up the status quo and watch the place burn to the ground. Otherwise, maybe give it all a rethink, try to apply some of your Sunday Morning aspirations, and work together to come together. There is no future in owning the Libs, nor is there in owning the MAGA crowd.
This assassination was an unspeakable crime. The perp will be found, tried, subjected to the rule of law. One only hopes that this act does not prompt the long-simmering ember called America to burst into flame.
Dona Nobis Pacem.
WTD, I know you are neither this naive or that ignorant.
Our system was always based on adversarial and differing ideas. Debate was the means to find a way forward. At its core was respect for everyone to have points of view and valuable insights to contribute to make the country as a whole better. We respected the will of the people, knowing full well that the next time round the vote can easily go the other way. Personal freedom was paramount, free speech essential.
It is not political kabuki theater, but a fight for the soul of the country and the freedom it promises to ALL.
Charlie Kirk was murdered because some did not like what he had to say and they could not simply acknowledge that he had a differing opinion and would not bend to their ideology. Instead he was vilified, demonized and dehumanized to make his murder acceptable and somehow justified to them. He is not the only one……
Politicians and media have contributed, but there are plenty of individuals, who see a way to exact revenge because the country did not do what THEY wanted. There are useful idiots a plenty.
I have seen TikTok videos of “influencers” encouraging their followers to get guns and then they insinuate shooting everyone, who wears a red hat…. or those who celebrate this murder and speculate “whose next”…..This is callous and depraved, just like the indifference we saw, when this young woman was killed on the train in NC. Everyone watched, nobody called for help or attempted to stop it.
You want peace WTD, then start calling out those who callously ignore evil, foment violence, or those who call for others to be silenced or persecuted because they refuse to live in a fantasy land of make-believe.
I renounce violence of any kind. I denounce those who practice it. I never call for people to be silenced. I do, however, take them on on their own turf in the finest tradition of open discourse and debate.
I callout the Kirk shooter. I callout the J6’ers who attached the Capitol. I callout the people who shot at Trump. I callout the person who attacked Pelosi’s husband.
I lower my flag for Kirk just as I do for those killed in Charlottesville.
You attack me personally because you believe I represent those whom you hate. I am not them. I do not represent them. I am responsible for my, and only my actions.
So please get off my back and direct your anger, if you must, at others. Better yet, forego it altogether.
How sad WTD, only you can turn an indirect compliment into an insult and then play the victim.
It seems you also assign emotions to my post that are not in evidence. I list examples of egregious behavior, to make my point of how far we have sunk as a society. I neither hate nor am angered by you or any of these misguided individuals in my examples.
You making this personal amounts to an attempt to shut down the greater debate! I charged you with calling out those, who do evil and delight in this heinous act. Instead you besmirch!
You are better than that!
You and I want the same thing, a more respectful and peaceful nation. We are both shocked and saddened by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Violence is not the answer.
Interestingly I noted that your post seem to focused and admonish people of faith to “apply their Sunday morning aspirations”. I assume you think of “turning the other cheek” not about “standing up to evil and defending widows and orphans”.
WTD it takes both sides to make this better and until we turn down the rhetoric (see my examples above) this is not going to change. You want amity, but you only seem to demand it from one group. It is time to call out the agitators, the depraved. You and I can debate and respect each other, but until respect returns and is given to all, it will be difficult. I pray that the death of Charlie is truly a turning point to take a collective breath and re-assess the goals and values that founded this nation.
Some other self-aggrandizing loopy loops are probably reconsidering their lie-dipped vitriol about now (Laura Loomer, comes to mind). Most Trump has pulled into the security umbrella of his looping loop administration (e.g. Bongino, Patel, Hegseth)…
Seems like another false flag as police arrest an unarmed old man while the real shooter was allowed to escape? Are we seeing more special effects as well? So hard to find the truth when these events take eyes away from Epstein list and the fact that Israel bombed 6 countries in the last week. We have a regional war on our hands in the middle east and Trump keeps sending more bombs their way. Not the country our forefathers had envisioned.
You have to wonder why the suspect wasn’t carrying the rifle in the photos thy released.
Likely stashed it on the roof days prior.
Of course some dimwit will blame the assassination of Charlie Kirk on President Trump. Congrats – you are incredibly demonic.
While still others will blame Biden I’m sure.
I’ve already seen leftists blame Trump for it. IL Gov Pritzker springs to mind, but I have seen many others.
So far, nothing implicating Biden. Of course, I may have missed something.
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Oh… no… wait. I did read a blog post where the author pointed out dozens of instances where the left outright called for violence, or demonized the right. And, Biden’s “MAGA is an existential threat to the Nation” speech in front of Freedom Hall was shown in a picture.
I recall the street prophets of the prolife movement, 40+ years ago, saying that if the violence of abortion continues against the unborn, it will spread to the BORN. Those advocating for the defenseless will themselves suffer martyrdom. 65 million (and counting) mutilated bodies builds up an awful lot of evil momentum. God sees every abortion, while the Left hides it from us, not only by suppressing the photos but by suppressing the angst suffered by the aborted mothers. If you watch the murder of Charlie Kirk, it will take a strong stomach. It was an instant snuff job. If you can’t watch it, then go see at what an aborted baby looks like. The ones that the Left hides, the ones that Charlie defended, until he became like one of them. “The Church’s foundation is built upon the blood of the martyrs.” — Tertullian
Well said. Without a doubt Charlie Kirk was a man of honor and integrity and I pray his legacy will grow in the lives of others who listened to him with open ears.
Until we know who assassinated Charlie Kirk, and why, we need to keep speculation at a minimum. Charlie was a strong advocate for open communication, for not making assumptions. We need to honor his memory by doing the same.
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I will agree. It is highly unlikely his death was not politically motivated. Charlie had a talent for destroying narratives on the left, and that likely annoyed a lot of people. I doubt the shooter actually knew much about Charlie Kirk, and likely refused to watch/listen to him because of a political bias.
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A line has been crossed. A soldier crossed a Rubicon and became a foreign invader. The question is will the rest of the legion follow? Or will the left realize this is a step too far? Will the right?
” I disagree with your opinion and here is why, BUT I will defend your right to speak it always”
That was Charlie Kirk. He spoke the truth. He was articulate, polite and kind. That in the eyes of the “tolerant” was his crime. He repeatedly said when words end violence begins.
We no longer talk to each other with respect. We get lectured.
We no longer value the other person’s worth. We are faceless groups.
Communism has that effect. It makes the individual worthless and any means is justified to further the needs of the cause.
Let’s honor Charlie Kirk by carrying his legacy forward. Let us see the individual and treat him/her according to their actions and not because s/he is in some group or race or gender. Let’s see the person. Individualism is what built this country and we need to return to those roots.
Charlie we miss you!
I always feared for Charlie. He was so articulate and quick witted. He could shut down a Liberal in a few sentences. They hate and fear a man like this and have no one who can honestly could debate him. When this happens anger, rage, and violence surface. Charlie wasn’t as lucky as Trump when a sniper took aim. Rest his soul.
This is the same as taking out Rush Limbaugh in the prime of life & will set back the GOP’s gaining momentum w/ young people.
Unbelievable …… those cockroaches.
RIP Mr. Kirk and prayers for your young family.
I do not think this will set back any gains the conservative side of the political aisle from gaining young people. In fact, I think this will result in more college age and younger people looking to conservative ideals as a viable path to follow. Killing Charlie Kirk did not end his work, instead it created thousands, perhaps even millions of Charlie Kirks.
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When violence becomes the only avenue available in politics, it is a clear admission that your ideas are dead. You can no longer win on ideas, you can no longer win over hearts and minds. Instead, you have to resort to violence and murder to force your ideas on others.
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By choosing assassination instead of dialog, the assassin (and I include everyone on the left that expressed joy at Charlie’s murder) they admitted they cannot win with ideas.
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This will turn Charlie Kirk’s work, his Turning Point movement into a national force to be reckoned with.
Good article, David. Thank you.