A Grayzone report reveals that Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder assassinated on September 10, rejected a massive funding offer from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fearing it was meant to silence his growing criticisms of Israel’s influence in Washington.

The report, citing a Trump insider and Kirk’s close friend, suggests his death may be linked to this defiance, sparking intense speculation.

Why it matters: Kirk’s killing, amid a polarized U.S. political climate, exposes tensions over foreign influence in American politics. His shift from Israel ally to critic, coupled with reported intimidation by Zionist donors, raises questions about motives behind his assassination, challenging U.S. sovereignty in a time of rising political violence.

What’s happening:

• Kirk believed Netanyahu’s funding offer for TPUSA aimed to “cow him into silence” as he questioned Israel’s sway over Washington, the insider said.
• The source stated, “He was afraid of them,” referring to pro-Israel figures who pressured Kirk after he criticized Epstein-Mossad links and October 7 narratives.
• Kirk saw Netanyahu as a “bully” dictating Trump’s personnel decisions, using donors like Miriam Adelson to control the administration.
• He warned Trump against bombing Iran for Israel, facing pushback, with the insider noting, “Charlie was the only person who did that.”
• Within 24 hours of Kirk’s death, Shapiro announced that he would be launching his own campus speaking tour, vowing: “We’re gonna pick up that blood stained microphone where Charlie left it.”

Go deeper: Kirk’s rejection of Zionist funding and fears of retaliation highlight a broader struggle over foreign influence in U.S. policy, with his assassination amplifying debates about external agendas in a divided nation.

Rejection of Netanyahu’s Offer

“Charlie Kirk rejected an offer earlier this year from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to arrange a massive new infusion of Zionist money into his Turning Point USA (TPUSA) organization, America’s largest conservative youth association, according to a longtime friend of the slain commentator speaking on the condition of anonymity.”

What we know: The Grayzone reports that in early 2025, Netanyahu offered significant funding to TPUSA, which Kirk rejected, suspecting a ploy to curb his criticisms. The insider stated, “Charlie believed Netanyahu was trying to cow him into silence as he began to publicly question Israel’s overwhelming influence in Washington.”

The backdrop:

• Kirk was frustrated by Netanyahu’s influence over Trump’s personnel, leveraging donors like Miriam Adelson.
• His refusal marked a break from TPUSA’s early reliance on Zionist funds via groups like the David Horowitz Freedom Center.

What’s next: This decision triggered a fierce backlash from pro-Israel forces, escalating tensions before Kirk’s death.

Backlash and Intimidation

“This July, at his TPUSA Student Action Summit, Kirk provided a forum for the right-wing grassroots to vent its fury about Israel’s political hammerlock on the Trump administration. There, speakers from former Fox News stalwarts Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, to the anti-Zionist Jewish comedian Dave Smith, denounced Israel’s blood-soaked assault on the besieged Gaza Strip, branded Jeffrey Epstein as an Israeli intelligence asset, and openly taunted Zionist billionaires like Bill Ackman for “getting away with scams” despite having “no actual skills.“

The big picture: The Grayzone details how, after TPUSA’s July 2025 Student Action Summit featured Israel-critical voices like Tucker Carlson and Dave Smith, who denounced Israel’s Gaza campaign and Epstein-Mossad ties, Kirk faced relentless pressure from Zionist donors.

These powerful figures, including long-time TPUSA backers, bombarded him with hostile messages and calls, demanding he realign with their agenda. This campaign of intimidation left Kirk feeling cornered, as the donors treated his shift as a betrayal of their financial support.

Key details:

• The insider noted, “He was being told what you’re not allowed to do, and it was driving him crazy.”
• Kirk, fearing retaliation, called Netanyahu a “bully” for influencing Trump, per the source.
• In an August 6 interview with Megyn Kelly, Kirk expressed outrage over threatening messages from pro-Israel leaders, highlighting their attempts to control his rhetoric.
• Candace Owens, a conservative influencer, reflected on the pressure Kirk faced, noting pro-Israel figures sought to ruin him for shifting his views, leaving her deeply hurt by their actions.
• Tucker Carlson said that after Charlie Kirk went to the White House to urge President Trump not to strike Iran, he received “massive abuse” and “intense” messages from his donors and made a lot of “real enemies.”

“Following the confab, Kirk was bombarded with infuriated text messages and phone calls from Netanyahu’s wealthy allies in the US, including many who had funded TPUSA. According to his longtime friend, the Zionist donors treated Kirk with outright contempt, essentially ordering him to fall back into line. “He was being told what you’re not allowed to do, and it was driving him crazy,” Kirk’s friend recalled. The conservative youth leader was not only alienated by the hostile nature of the interactions, but “frightened” by the backlash.”

Tucker: How do you come to a place where some of the least impressive, most useless people who have no actual skills become billionaires… How did Bill Ackman get $9 billion? A pretty impressive guy? I know him. No pic.twitter.com/gdcNT6imB9

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 12, 2025

Between the lines: This intimidation reflects foreign efforts to control U.S. conservative movements, a key concern tied to Kirk’s assassination.

Kirk’s Shifting Stance

“In one of his final interviews, conducted with Israel’s premier influencer in the United States, Ben Shapiro, Kirk once again tried to raise the issue of censorship of Israel critics. “A friend said to me, interestingly: ‘Charlie, okay, we’ve pushed back against the media on COVID, on lockdowns, on Ukraine, on the border,’” Kirk told Shapiro on September 9. “Maybe we should also ask the question: is the media totally presenting the truth when it comes to Israel? Just a question!”” 

What happened: The Grayzone details Kirk’s 2025 pivot from staunch Israel support to skepticism, publicly questioning Epstein’s potential Mossad connections and whether Israel allowed the October 7 attacks for political gain, aligning with growing conservative distrust of Israel’s actions.

In one of his final interviews on September 9 with Ben Shapiro, a prominent pro-Israel influencer, Kirk raised concerns about censorship, stating, “Maybe we should also ask… is the media totally presenting the truth when it comes to Israel? Just a question!”

Charlie Kirk’s now final interview: he criticised Israel to Ben Shapiro’s face pic.twitter.com/M94OTcDf7f

— HatsOff (@HatsOffff) September 11, 2025

Why it matters: Kirk’s warnings to Trump against bombing Iran on Israel’s behalf, as the insider stated, “Charlie was the only person who did that,” highlight foreign influence over U.S. policy, a flashpoint in his assassination that underscores the stakes of challenging external agendas.

Israeli Involvement Speculations

What’s out there: The Grayzone’s article highlights the growing speculation in Israeli involvement in Kirk’s death, fueled by his documented fears and funding rejection.

Ian Carroll, a libertarian influencer, said, “He was their friend. He basically dedicated his life to them. And they murdered him in front of his family.” This claim, amplified by Kirk’s documented fears, has sparked widespread online debate, pointing to his rejection of Netanyahu’s funding as a potential motive.

On NewsMax, Benjamin Netanyahu addressed these rumors, calling them “absurd” and “stupid,” stating, “They just found the perpetrator. They’ll get to the bottom of this.”

The X response:

• Netanyahu denied involvement, suggesting radical Islamists were responsible, and eulogized Kirk as a “lion-hearted friend of Israel.”
• Austin Steinbart posted on X, claiming Charlie Kirk’s assassination was a Mossad hit to silence his criticism of Israel, leveraging deep U.S. intelligence ties and Netanyahu’s desperation to maintain support.
• Milo posted on X, suggesting Netanyahu’s quick reaction to Charlie Kirk’s death hints at involvement or gloating, especially since Kirk had recently diverged from pro-Israel views

🚨🇮🇱🇺🇸 BREAKING: NETANYAHU claims “ISRAEL did NOT ASSASSINATE Charlie Kirk”

What an odd thing for a world leader who is busy bombing 7 countries to say… pic.twitter.com/Nc6WMWENif

— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) September 12, 2025

Conclusion

The bottom line: The Grayzone’s report reveals Charlie Kirk’s rejection of Netanyahu’s funding and fears of pro-Israel backlash. His assassination on September 10, 2025, after criticizing Israel’s sway and warning Trump against foreign-driven wars, highlights the stakes of defying external agendas. Kirk’s shift from Zionist ally to skeptic, as seen in his TPUSA summit and interviews, made him a target, with donors’ intimidation reflecting efforts to control conservative movements. This tragedy underscores how foreign powers exploit U.S. divisions, threatening sovereignty amid rising violence.