Minutes after the news broke that conservative influencer and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University, ABC News broke in and seemingly suggested he had it coming for his “controversial” views and for going to a campus that didn’t want him there.
“ABC news has confirmed conservative activists and podcaster Charlie Kirk has been shot during an event at Utah Valley University,” announced correspondent Kyra Phillips. “The founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization, is known for his outspoken views on politics, culture, religion, often taking his messages to colleges and universities, sparking sometimes pretty heated debates on campus.”
She quickly brought on chief investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky, who pointed out that Kirk went to the UVU campus despite outrage from the liberal members of the student body:
You’re right, his presence there at the university had divided the campus, according to an article in the school paper, where there were people on both sides debating whether he should even be allowed to bring his message, often loyal to the agenda of President Trump, to campus. But he was speaking at this outdoor event in a courtyard.
Following Katersky’s report, Phillips pivoted to speak to far-left chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce and doubled down on justifying the attack: “It's no secret that Kirk has said a number of controversial things over the years, in particular about DEI, Jews, women, LGBTQ community, people of color."
“He is a massive figure, of course, in the conservative movement. He has been close to President Trump. Of course, I think back to – I think it was last December when then President-elect Donald Trump spoke at a big Turning Point USA conference,” noted Bruce.
