E-Paper
‘Wasn't this national hero': US college student says Charlie Kirk was ‘just a white man’
University students condemn Charlie Kirk's idolization as the slain conservative activist continues to dominate headlines following his assassination.
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, was shot dead at Utah Valley University on September 10. Weeks after Kirk’s assassination, several conservative groups continue to idolize the co-founder of Turning Point USA and disseminate his views. However, a few university students recently took exception to the deification of Charlie Kirk.
University students condemn Charlie Kirk’s idolization
An artwork of Charlie Kirk hugging Jesus Christ recently went viral on Instagram. It featured one of Kirk’s popular quotes about Christ: “I am nothing without Jesus”. Meanwhile, a sculpture of Jesus comforting Kirk is also expected to be installed at Ave Maria University, as per Angelus News.
Among others, the deification of Charlie Kirk left Alana, a student of Utah Valley University, surprised. “He wasn’t this national hero or politician,” she told The Guardian. Alana further emphasized that Kirk was “just a white man with a loud opinion.”
Within two weeks of Kirk’s assassination, a group of conservative activists entered the campus of Tennessee State University, an HBCU in Nashville, on September 23. In honor of Kirk, these activists wore “Make America Great Again” hats and carried signs that read “DEI should be illegal” and “Deport all illegals now! Let’s talk.”
TSU junior Talia Talley told The Guardian she was terrified by the group’s unauthorized visit to her campus. “I did feel a little bit fearful. We had no idea that they were coming onto our campus to do this,” Talley said. Later, TSU declared that demonstrations and protest activities required “advance approval and permitting.”
Also read: Charlie Kirk shooting row: Why Nicolas Cage's Snake Eyes movie is suddenly trending
Students expelled after Charlie Kirk's death
A few students also landed themselves in trouble following their controversial takes on Charlie Kirk's assassination. According to The Guardian, Texas schools expelled at least two Black students after they allegedly mocked Kirk’s death in viral videos. Camryn Giselle Booker, a student at Texas Tech University, was arrested for an assault citation after she said, “Y’all homie dead,” during a vigil for Kirk on camera. She is also no longer enrolled at Texas Tech University.
Devion Canty Jr, a former Texas State University (TXST) student, filmed a video of himself imitating Kirk’s death on his campus. After the content came to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s notice, he called for Canty’s expulsion on X, formerly Twitter. “Expel this student immediately. Mocking assassination must have consequences,” Abbott wrote. The Guardian reports Devion Canty Jr later withdrew from Texas State University.
Meanwhile, Zoe, an Arab woman and a sophomore at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, told The Guardian that she was baffled by the attention that Charlie Kirk’s death received amid genocide in Palestine.
“When I’m thinking about political violence, I’m thinking about the genocide in Palestine. That is the political violence that I prefer to spend my time dwelling on and pushing back against,” she told the Outlet.
Zoe added that she would rather not think about Kirk, “who made money off of fear-mongering and saying the most heinous things imaginable.”
FAQs
When was Charlie Kirk assassinated?
Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025.
How old was Charlie Kirk at the time of his death?
Charlie Kirk was 31 at the time of his death.
Who was Charlie Kirk married to?
Charlie Kirk was married to Erika Kirk.
