Tulsi Gabbard, now serving as Director of National Intelligence, didn’t mince words in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination. In a heartfelt memorial message, she both honored Kirk’s life and unleashed a blistering attack on the radical left and its media allies for their grotesque response to his murder. Her message wasn’t just about remembrance—it was a battle cry against those who fuel hatred and violence in the name of politics.
Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and a trusted Trump ally, was gunned down while speaking in Utah on September 10. His death has sent shockwaves through the conservative movement. Yet instead of showing even a shred of decency, far-left outlets and pundits reveled in the moment. TMZ staffers were caught on camera cheering as his death was announced. MSNBC’s Matthew Dowd went so far as to suggest Kirk “brought it upon himself.” Such rhetoric, Gabbard argued, is not only vile—it’s dangerous.
“Charlie Kirk was truly one of a kind,” Gabbard said. “A kind, loving, and courageous soul who lived what he preached. His view that our political, social, and spiritual differences should be debated freely and respectfully was something he put into practice every day — a living embodiment of the vision our founders had for our country.”
Gabbard didn’t stop at praise. She defined Kirk’s murder for what it was: terrorism. “The person who shot Charlie Kirk sought to silence him, using violence to take away his freedom of speech by ending his life and to terrorize those who think like Charlie into silence. This evil act is the very definition of terrorism.”
She then drew a direct line between the radical left and jihadist fanatics. “Today, on the anniversary of 9/11, we recognize that whether it’s Islamists like al-Qaeda, or the fanatics who try to stop Charlie Kirk and others from speaking the truth by banning them from campuses and ultimately by assassination, the one thing they have in common is that they are so afraid their arguments will not stand when challenged in free and open debate, that they resort to violence.”
In her sharpest rebuke yet, Gabbard blasted MSNBC and the broader “propaganda media” for their callousness. “I was sickened, but not surprised, when I saw the propaganda media like MSNBC react by encouraging and justifying this evil. Within minutes of the shooting, they said, Charlie ‘brought it upon himself.’ They said the very same thing about President Donald Trump after both assassination attempts on his life.”
Her comparison was chilling: “And the Islamists who attacked us on 9/11 also make the same argument—i.e. that ‘the American people deserved the attack.’ What they’re really telling us is: shut up, be quiet, or face the consequences.”
But Tulsi also turned her grief into resolve. “Charlie truly loved our country and dedicated his life to protecting our God-given rights. We must honor his life’s work, and the promise of America, by continuing to lift our own voices and defend our God-given freedoms enshrined in our Constitution.”
She closed with a message of faith and loss: “I’m devastated that Erika lost her husband today, their children lost their father, and so many of us lost a dear friend. Our nation lost one of our greatest champions of freedom. I pray Charlie is now able to rest in the warm embrace of God’s love. He will be dearly missed.”
Gabbard’s remarks cut to the heart of the matter: Charlie Kirk’s assassination wasn’t just an attack on one man, but on the very idea of free speech. And the left’s response has only proven Kirk’s warnings true.
