In the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, social media influencers, media outlets and politicians used the killing to promote some of the hard right’s often-repeated conspiracy theories that malign various groups of people. These conspiracy theories came before any substantial information was known about the shooter.
On social media, on podcasts and in other forums, hate and antigovernment movement leaders asserted that the shooter was transgender — part of a recent false narrative that trans people are especially prone to mental illness and violence. Others claimed the assassination was part of a broad wave of violence by the left, even though government research shows that the vast majority of political violence is driven by right-wing ideologies. Some furthered antisemitic narratives, claiming the attack was perpetrated by Jewish people and the Israeli government. Many argued that the shooter — who attended one semester at Utah State University before enrolling in an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College — was radicalized by his professors.
The following pieces summarize some of the most prevalent conspiracy theories circulating within the hard-right movement. These articles show the movement’s leaders pushing their agendas in the wake of the killing.
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Harmful ‘trans shooter’ myth widely promoted after Charlie Kirk killing
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Attack on public education and free speech rights of educators after Kirk killing
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Hard right blames leftist groups, Black criminality for Kirk killing
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Antisemitic conspiracy theories claim Israel, Mossad to blame for Kirk killing
Image at top: Photo illustration by the SPLC.