George Floyd was needlessly killed by a cop. He wasn’t the first black man to be murdered. He won’t be the last. But George Floyd was no saint, hero or martyr. He was just a troubled man with a troubled history who ended up dead on video at the moment in time when he caused a nation to explode. Before he died, very few knew or cared about George Floyd at all. Afterward, he was the center of the social justice universe.
Charlie Kirk was nothing like George Floyd. His assassination was nothing like George Floyd’s murder. But like George Floyd, his death is being seized upon as a justification for retribution against the “radical left,” as Trump called it, as an existential battle between the right and left.
STEPHEN MILLER: “This is not fringe anymore. Tape, after tape. Federal workers, bureaucrats, educators, professors, nurses… people celebrating and cheering the assassination of Charlie Kirk! There is a domestic terrorist movement growing in this country”
pic.twitter.com/flLNYUb4zr— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 13, 2025
Perhaps the most significant distinction is that the death of George Floyd manifested in protests in the streets, burning businesses and buildings, smashing windows and, in some instances, death. The death of Charlie Kirk is leading down a very different path using the levers of government to go after the enemies of the administration.
The death of Mr. Kirk, a popular young conservative activist, has added fuel to Mr. Trump’s campaign against his opponents. He and his administration have promised to bring the killer to justice while using the moment to blame the left — and only the left — more broadly.
Critics of the administration now worry that Mr. Kirk’s murder could be used as a pretext to move even more aggressively against those who speak out against Mr. Trump.
That Trump leveled blame before anyone knew who fired the shot or why he did so is one thing. Initially, it might be excused because Trump was deeply moved by the murder, although he seems to have recovered from his pain with shocking alacrity. But that hasn’t slowed the roll for action against the left.
And while the president has provided few specifics about how he plans to address rising political violence or mete out punishments, several administration officials vowed to scrutinize speech by those who have denounced Mr. Kirk — a self-declared supporter of free speech — and his often inflammatory views.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that his agency was closely tracking any military personnel who celebrated or mocked Mr. Kirk’s death, and Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state, suggested the administration would strip visas from individuals who celebrated Mr. Kirk’s death.
“I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Mr. Landau wrote on X.
And then there are the whackier cries of revenge.
On Capitol Hill, Representative Clay Higgins, Republican of Louisiana, said he would use his congressional authority to seek immediate bans for life from social media platforms for anyone who “belittled the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
“I’m also going after their business licenses and permitting, their businesses will be blacklisted aggressively, they should be kicked from every school, and their drivers licenses should be revoked,” he wrote on X. “I’m basically going to cancel with extreme prejudice these evil, sick animals who celebrated Charlie Kirk’s assassination. I’m starting that today.”
And then there are renewed cries for retribution, revitalized by Kirk’s murder.
Mr. Trump also renewed his call on Friday for prosecutors to file racketeering charges against George Soros, one of the Democratic Party’s biggest donors. Mr. Trump and his allies have long claimed without evidence that Mr. Soros foments violent protests.
“We’re going to look into Soros because I think it’s a RICO case against him and other people because this is more than protests,” he said on Fox News. “This is real agitation; this is riots on the street — and we’re going to look into that.”
And then there is the contention that this is “kill or be killed.”
Elon Musk told the far-right rally that “violence is going to come to you. You either fight back, or you die.” pic.twitter.com/6H17k8Lkcb
— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) September 13, 2025
The death of George Floyd brought enormous destruction and pain. The death of Charlie Kirk is poised to do the same, albeit in very different ways. Both deaths captured the public imagination. Will Charlie Kirk’s death be used as the excuse for Trump to use the power of government to crush his enemies? When the issue is posed as “fight back or you die,” the possibility of blood in the streets again seems almost certain.
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In one regard I actually hope it is. In the same way that George Floyd motivated people to finally start taking notice of police violence (although only in regards to one specific demographic) I hope this event helps wake people up to the reality of political violence and maybe even to the polarization that is rampant today. Let’s just do it without the riots and additional violence, please.
If we, as a nation, can see this and start deciding to do something about it there may be hope for us yet. Unfortunately it is not looking that way currently and I really don’t have much hope it will get better any time soon.
This is the logical outcome of screaming “transgender genocide”for years and calling speech violence. The Annunciation school shooting was committed by a transgender individual who explicitly said they feel threatened and Charlie Kirk’s assassin was trans linked and engraved leftist slogans on his ammunition. Words have power, and words have incited violence, and far too many have rejoiced in this violence. They don’t understand this puts us one step closer to civil war. I am terrified of that, and even more terrified that so many people want that violence.
Oh, so you know all about the edgelord meme culture over at 4chan on /pol/, the depths of Reddit, Tumblr, and other online pits to be making these connections, do you? You just “know” those engravings were leftist or trans linked? Since you are convinced it’s a leftist, tell me all about the Bella Ciao engraving (not the Italian folk usage from WWII or on Netflix, it’s current use as a meme – the term “groyper” might help your search).
These people do not fit into the neat little left/right boxes you want to put them into. The world is getting a tiny glimpse into the toxic shithole world of these chronically online edgelord trolls and the talking heads on the left and right are spouting off how they are a problem of the other side. Our leaders are taking us further down the path of violence when they haven’t got a clue – just like you.
The Guardian stated, “Those fired, suspended or censured in recent days include teachers, firefighters, journalists, politicians, a Secret Service employee, a junior strategist at Nasdaq and a worker for a prominent NFL team.” My understanding is that an employee of Middle Tennessee State University (a public institution) was one of the people who was fired. I am far from certain that Charlie Kirk would have approved.
[Ed. Note: Eugene did a post on the 1A implications of the “cancellations” that might be worth reading.]
In the past few days, I’ve read more about political violence than my entire 6 decades combined. Yale: “But at the end of the debate, attendees voted 55–28 against the statement ‘violence is never the answer,’ with one voter abstaining.” (links available but not posted to honor blogger’s rules) Oxford Union: “Oxford Union’s new president-elect [George Abaraonye] to be disciplined after ‘celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death’.” Hearing from Matthew Dowd was not really surprising but like the other two his comments are shocking. I’ve seen at least a hundred reports of celebrations over Charlie Kirk’s death or confrontations of those who mourn him. “Hitler” and “Nazi” seem to be the most popular labels.
DJT might indeed use this moment to justify another bad act but is that situation as dangerous as the wave of violence that may overtake us? What would happen if 20 Americans decided to shoot every imagined Nazi in New York City? And Washington DC? And 5 more major cities? A few years ago three men approached me in the parking lot of a hunting store and asked me if I was interested in joining one of the many militias they had organized across Virginia. I was stunned but declined. Recalling that conversation today, I think they were expecting to be Nazi hunting real soon.
If a 31-year old husband-father-youth-evangelist-Republican-organizer is tagged as today’s Hitler, I fear this is not going to end well. It matters little which side takes the first shot, it seems all sides have their guns locked and loaded, watching for a Nazi to step within range. Someone needs to spread the word, real fast, to stand down. The Nazis are all gone, they need to put their guns away.
[Ed. Note: The perspective is quite different if you watch news from only one side as opposed to MSM or both.]
Just because George Floyd had a “troubled past” does not give Law Enforcement permission to murder him in cold blood on the street in plain public view without arrest, indictment or trial. It’s simpley outrageous and not permitted in our judicial system. And this was in a northern district, about as northern as you can get.
Trying to compare apples and oranges does not fly with me. As for “existential battle,”…Say what?
I know that’s not what you’re driving at, but why bring it up? It’s one of those highfalutin words that that talking heads and erstwhile profs use when they’re at a loss for words and don’t really know what they’re talking about.
For the record, I have a BA in Philosophy. That qualified me to drive a cab in Boston and tend bar when the need arose. Still, we have no regrets. It made me smarter than most, including many doctors, lawyers, so-called attorneys and–last but not least–some judges and “justices”. Ha! Have a gooday, Mate. Take it easy, but take it. Illegitimi non carborundum?
[Ed. Note: Irregardless, Bill.]
Make that Existential Bill, please! I’m tellin ya, Admiral? Keep up the great Existential work that you do, irregardless of the contrarians and naysayers out there with too much time on their hands. Don’t pay them no nevermind. (No matter, never mind; no matter nevermind!??)