Who is Charlie Kirk and how is he related to Trump’s government?

• Charlie Kirk has been actively involved in American politics since he was 18, creating an organization named “Turning Point”, which promoted conservative values at schools and colleges.

• Quick Note: The Republican Party in the US is closely associated with the conservative beliefs, including traditional institutions and limited government. Therefore, Kirk was a big supporter of the current right wing party, promoting “Trumpism” ideas.

• During the “American Come Back Tour” at Utah Valley University Charlie Kirk was shot by suspect Tyler Robinson.

What does this case reveal about the current political situation in the US?

• In fact, the killing of the vocal republican activist is not a single violent act that took place in recent times. Already seven similar cases took place in the last few months, including the assassinations attempts of Donald Trump himself during his 2024 campaign.

• Although, there is still no exact reason behind the murder of Charlie Kirk, it could be already concluded that political views in the society become really different, taking extreme turns.

• This is called political polarization, which is argued to be at its peak in the United States, as Democrats adopt a more “left” approach and Republicans take more “right” one respectively.

What are the reasons behind political polarization?

• Pure demonization of beliefs’ differences creates social unrest. Although political activists must promote their own party’s ideas, very strong claims that make the latter look superior over the latter could create the impression that the opposite party is a threat.

• Simple physiological factors also play a role. This could be even explained by the daily life example, when people tend to change their personal opinions based on the social group they are in. The same thing happens in politics, individuals switch their views to match political beliefs of their group. Therefore, those biased views halt any conversations not only between the parties, but society as a whole.

The media is a crucial soft power tool that is able to set parties against each other. Partisan news outlets are primarily responsible for promoting extreme content, resulting in polarization.