Sen. Lindsey Graham said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Charlie Kirk’s assassination was more than just a crime he called it “an attack on a political movement.”
“Charlie Kirk is one of the top three people who helped President Trump win in 2024,” Graham said. He added that most Republicans see the shooting as a direct strike against the conservative movement.
Graham urged Americans not to respond to political disputes with violence, saying, “Take up a political cause to fight back, not a gun, not a bomb, not a knife.” He said the best way to honor Kirk’s legacy was to organize and push for conservatives to win in 2026.
The senator’s comments came as the country faces rising political violence, including an attack on Minnesota lawmakers earlier this year and two assassination attempts on former President Trump last summer.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox blamed the influence of extremist online groups and called out “Reddit culture” as a factor in the radicalization of the alleged shooter.
Graham also pushed to repeal Section 230 — the law that shields social media companies from liability over what users post saying tech platforms have fueled radicalization.
Sen. Mark Kelly, recalling the 2011 shooting of his wife Gabrielle Giffords, said Kirk’s killing felt like “a punch in the gut.” Kelly and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg both urged the country to come together and stop normalizing political violence.
