US Politics
Karl Rove shreds conservatives for targeting rivals by saying ‘they’ killed Charlie Kirk: ‘Wrong and dangerous’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
Longtime Republican strategist Karl Rove slammed those looking to politicize the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, stating that using it to justify retaliation against political rivals is “wrong and dangerous.”
Conservatives have been pointing fingers at liberals ever since Kirk, 31, was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University last week. Authorities have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with the killing, without indicating anyone else was involved.
President Donald Trump has also placed the blame on liberals, claiming, without evidence, that “most of the violence” is on the left. While the charging document against Robison says he “intentionally” shot the right-wing influencer due to a “belief or perception regarding Charlie Kirk’s political expression,” prosectors stopped short or providing a specific motive.
Despite this, right-wingers have followed suit with their blame game, claiming that an unspecified “they” is responsible for Kirk’s death – something Rove referred to as “a disturbing and growing undercurrent in our national conversation.”
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Rove noted that there is a a “pronounced emphasis on ‘they’ and ‘them.’”
“Charlie would be alive but for ‘them.’ ‘They’ killed him. ‘They’ are responsible for his death. ‘They’ must pay,” he noted.
open image in gallery
“No. Charlie Kirk wasn’t killed by ‘them.’ ‘They’ didn’t pull the trigger. One person did, apparently a young man driven by impulse and terrible hate,” Rove continued.
“If there were a ‘they’ involved, law enforcement would find ‘them’ and the justice system would hold ‘them’ accountable. But ‘he’ and ‘him’ are the correct pronouns for this horrendous act,” wrote Rove, who was a senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush.
Rove later notes, “We aren’t helpless automatons whose actions are dictated by others.”
open image in gallery
“Using Charlie’s murder to justify retaliation against political rivals is wrong and dangerous. It will further divide and embitter our country. No good thing will come of it,” he wrote, adding, “It is also an insult to his memory.”
Rove concluded: “Above all, it needs to be repeated. Violence has no role in our country’s politics. Now or ever. Reasoned discourse is essential to our democracy. Charlie Kirk understood that. Let’s hope it’s a message his eulogists honor.”
After a lone gunman shot Trump in the ear last summer, Kirk uploaded a YouTube video titled: “They tried to kill Trump.”
