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Good morning friends. Prem here. Remember what happened a year ago? The killing of Charlie Kirk, and the sinking feeling that things were about to get dramatically worse? That Kirk would become a martyr, a vessel for even more far-right political domination?
Kirk’s murder was, of course, horrific. And it was then metabolized, made a meme. The right-wing government deployed the power of the state as hard as it could, and there were consequences for our freedoms that we haven’t fully appreciated. So, for this issue of ‘First Draft,’ I spoke to individuals fired for Kirk-related speech: a professor, a teacher, a journalist, and a former police officer. Each had compelling reflections. We also listened to Donald Trump’s appalling, marathon speech at his midterm GOP convention in Dallas, so you didn’t have to, and took in yet more drastic developments in the forever war with Iran.
Let’s read on.
‘They Used Him as a Weapon’
Today marks one year since the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah – and the ensuing crackdown on free speech.
The founder of Turning Point USA was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University, in Orem. In the days that followed, some Americans criticized Kirk’s right-wing politics, questioned the OTT response to his death (including stadium memorials and flag lowerings at a level befitting a statesman), or apparently appeared insufficiently respectful in general. In return, the entire state apparatus launched a campaign to humiliate, fire, and punish anyone who spoke critically of Kirk – even those who simply quoted his own words.
The supposedly “pro-free speech” Republican Party launched a McCarthyite campaign to defend the honor of a man whose organization famously managed a blacklist of professors (one I noticed has now been taken down), chilling speech and ruining lives. Guest hosting Kirk’s show, Vice President JD Vance called on Americans to report to employers anyone who “celebrated” Kirk’s death. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller vowed vengeance against the left.
More than 600 people were punished as GOP officials and influencers claimed to target speech that glorified violence… when many of them were among the loudest advocates of violence themselves.
So what has happened to the targets of this right-wing cancellation campaign since then? I spoke with several of them to hear their stories a year on.