Like millions of others, I’ve been reading about the Charlie Kirk assassination. The shock hasn’t even worn off, and already his death is being spun, twisted, and fed back into the toxic cycle of political violence in America. What stands out to me most is how quickly Republican politicians reached for the same tired playbook: eulogize their fallen ally and then immediately blame Democrats. It must be deliberate. The only real question is, why?
Take Nancy Mace, for example. She’s a Republican congresswoman from South Carolina who’s become a fixture on cable news for her combative style. In part of an interview, she asserted that “Democrats owned what happened today.” When NBC’s Ryan Nobles asked her a straightforward question about whether violence happens on both sides, pointing out that, by that logic, Republicans would then own the shooting of two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota, she exploded: “Are you kidding me? We don’t know what condition Charlie Kirk is in at the moment, some raging left-wing lunatic put a bullet through his neck, and you want to talk about Republicans right now?”
She didn’t answer the question. She didn’t acknowledge reality. She weaponized the moment to assign blame and stoke anger, even though nobody knew who the shooter was. That sure sounds deliberate to me.
And then there’s Donald Trump. He wasted no time issuing a statement that sounded less like a condolence and more like a declaration of war. “For years those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis,” he said. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism we’re seeing in our country and it must stop right now.” He went further, promising his administration would go after not just the shooter, but “the organizations that fund it and support it.” In other words, anyone who criticizes Republicans could now be painted as complicit in terrorism.
Meanwhile, Alex Jones saw an opportunity of a different kind. He’s busy commenting on Kirk’s death, and apparently (if X is to be believed), he announced he’s launching a nationwide university tour in Charlie Kirk’s name. Before Kirk’s body is even cold, the grift machine is running.
So here we are: Nancy Mace dodging reality, Trump pounding the table, Alex Jones passing the collection plate. All of it adds up to the same thing: Charlie Kirk’s death has been transformed from a human tragedy into political fuel.
But again: why? Why are Republican leaders deliberately fanning the flames at a time when tensions are already so high, when every politician is more at risk, when every ordinary person is watching social media devolve into rage?
Maybe they’re trying to control the narrative before the facts catch up? If it turns out the shooter wasn’t linked to Democrats at all, that won’t matter; the idea will already be planted. Millions will already believe “the left did it” no matter what evidence emerges.
Another possibility (my fav so far) is that they’re looking for a pretext to impose harsher crackdowns. Escalating chaos creates the conditions for extraordinary measures. If violence spreads, it opens the door to more surveillance, more militarized policing, even some form of Martial law. Could that be the point? Maybe this would lock down the US for greater Republican control? I don’t know, but it’s hard not to wonder.
It could also be as simple as deflection. What if the shooter turns out to be a far-right extremist? That would fit an unfortunate pattern in the U.S., where the majority of political violence in recent years has come from the right. By blaming Democrats immediately, Republicans insulate themselves and cloud the waters before the truth lands.
Or maybe it’s about profit. Anger mobilizes donors, sells tickets, fuels podcasts, and drives clicks. Charlie Kirk is now a martyr figure, and martyrdom has always been a powerful fundraising tool. Just ask Alex Jones.
Lest we forget, there’s also the Epstein question that is floating around social media. Could the frantic blame game also be an attempt to pull focus, to make sure nobody lingers too long on those connections? Again, I don’t know. But let’s just say, we’re not talking about it right now.
What I do know is this: Charlie Kirk is dead, and instead of calling for calm or unity, Republican leaders are choosing the opposite. They are making deliberate choices to divide, inflame, and redirect. That should scare us far more than any single gunman. Because while one assassin pulled the trigger, it’s politicians who are ensuring the wound to America stays open and bleeding.
