The assassination Wednesday of right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk is already having an impact on California politics.
A Democratic all-star event to promote Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting measure, Proposition 50, has been postponed until next week in light of Kirk’s death.
Kirk was reportedly shot while speaking during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem. President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death.
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Nathan Click, a spokesperson for the Prop. 50 campaign, confirmed the delay of the event in an email to The Standard. High-profile democrats like Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), and YouTuber David Pakman were slotted to speak at the virtual event.
While Newsom’s plan to redistrict California is part of a national tussle with Republicans, the governor enjoyed a more friendly relationship with Kirk. He hosted Kirk, the 31-year-old activist and founder of Turning Point USA, this year on his podcast “This is Gavin Newsom.”
Newsom condemned the shooting.
“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” he wrote in a post on X.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris said she was “deeply disturbed” by the shooting, adding, “Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
A bevy of California politicians followed suit, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who said in a statement, “The horrific shooting today at Utah Valley University is reprehensible. Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation.” She called for the nation to pray for the Utah Valley University community.
In San Francisco, officials called for sanity. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a frequent target of death threats, posted on X: “Charlie Kirk’s murder is horrific. Political violence is never the answer. It takes lives & makes our political system toxic & dangerous.
“We need basic safeguards on accessing guns. No one should have to live in fear of being targeted with gun violence,” Wiener added.
Bill Jackson, chair of the San Francisco Republican Party, described the killing as “abhorrent” and a sign of how radicalized the country has become.
“There are a lot of folks on the left who are more scared than the right, and I think perspective is in order,” Jackson said. “You look at the number of assassination attempts on Trump and this Charlie Kirk incident — this is not a case where you have a bunch of brown-shirted GOP thugs knocking off their enemies. This is the other side. People need to look at themselves in the mirror and realize whipping up a sense of panic may inadvertently encourage violence.”
Trump called for all U.S. flags to be lowered until Sunday evening to honor Kirk, who cultivated a massive online following with viral debates against rooms full of young liberals. His death is the latest incident in swelling political violence in the U.S., from the attempted assassination of Trump to the killing of a Minnesota representative and her husband.
The mayor's office confirmed they follow all federal flag proclamations, indicating City Hall in the known progressive enclave, San Francisco, will lower its flags to honor Kirk.
In a statement, Lurie said, “The death of Charlie Kirk is horrific, and my heart goes out to his friends and family. There is no place in this country for political violence.”
This is a developing story.