The assassination of Charlie Kirk has sparked a significant cultural reflection, shedding light on alarming statistics that highlight a widening divide in American attitudes toward political violence.

Recent polling by YouGov indicates that nearly one in four Americans who identify as ‘very liberal’, specifically 24 percent, find it permissible to rejoice over a political adversary’s demise.

In stark contrast, only three percent of individuals who consider themselves ‘very conservative’ deem it acceptable to feel joy over the death of a public figure with conflicting views.

The chasm widens in the younger generation. Among liberals aged 18 to 44, a whopping 22 percent think it’s acceptable to celebrate political deaths. Just six percent of conservatives in the same age bracket believe it’s permissible. 

The survey suggests conservatives overwhelmingly reject political violence and its celebration, while liberals, especially younger and more radical ones, show far more permissiveness. Kirk’s murder shows just how dangerous that gulf has become.

Historically, political violence in America skewed to the right. 

DOJ data show that since 1990, far-right extremists were responsible for more than 520 ideologically motivated murders, compared to 78 by far-left actors. But since 2020, that dynamic has changed.

The Cato Institute reports that right-wing attackers now account for just over half of such murders, but left-wing violence has surged to 22 percent, and Islamist violence makes up the rest.

The shifting face of violence 

Recent attacks highlight the shift. Kirk’s assassin Tyler Robinson held pro-trans, anti-fascist views and seethed with hatred at the TPUSA founder’s brand of Christian conservatism. 

Last December, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in Manhattan in a politically charged shooting, while earlier this year two Israeli Embassy staff were shot dead in Washington, D.C.

Robert Pape, a University of Chicago professor and expert in domestic extremism, told the WSJ: ‘Now we have substantial political violence from both the left and the right.’

While the far right still poses danger, the growing threat from the left, paired with an increasing cultural tolerance for violence, is reshaping the landscape.

The trans shooter trend 

Kirk was one of those who drew attention to rising violence being tied to identity movements, especially those who are transgender. 

His killer, Tyler Robinson, was in a romantic relationship with his transgender roommate.

In the months before his death, Kirk warned of the ideological rage driving certain mass shootings – and the attacks have recently piled up.

• In August, transgender shooter Robin Westman opened fire at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, killing 2 and injuring 17.

• Two years earlier, in March 2023, Audrey Hale, a trans-identifying woman, murdered six people, three of them children,  at a Christian school in Nashville.

• In 2019, trans teen Alec McKinney carried out a school shooting in Colorado.

• In 2018, Snochia Moseley, a transgender woman, killed four people at a Rite Aid distribution center.

According to the Secret Service, 1.67 percent of mass attackers between 2016–2020 were transgender, despite trans people making up less than 1 percent of the US population.

Earlier this year, the Lt. Governor of Alabama stated, ‘The liberal media refuses to recognize the growing link between ‘transgenders’ and mass shootings – but facts are facts.’

The hypocrisy of cancel culture 

The culture war around Kirk’s assassination intensified after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel mocked the tragedy on air suggesting the killer was a member of the ‘MAGA gang’. 

He was later suspended by ABC under pressure from conservative activists and federal regulators.

Liberals say his suspension is tantamount to censorship but Kimmel’s sneering commentary reflects a deeper sentiment that YouGov polling shows is alarmingly common among the very liberal.

Kimmel’s quip appears to align with a growing cultural current that trivializes conservative suffering and excuses ideological violence. 

While progressive public figures mock assassinations and face few consequences, conservatives continue to lose jobs and livelihoods for holding views well within the cultural mainstream.

Among some of the most high-profile cases:

• Charlene Carter, a Southwest flight attendant, was fired for pro-life social media posts.

• Peter Vlaming, a Virginia teacher, was terminated for declining to use a student’s preferred pronouns – a case that resulted in a $575,000 settlement.

• Steven Melton, a firefighter in Arkansas, was dismissed for a Facebook post opposing abortion.

• Robyn Polak, a Milwaukee dental assistant, lost her job over pro-Trump opinions shared online.

Liberals who celebrate actual violence, including assassination attempts on Donald Trump, often face far less backlash as their views are tolerated by the predominantly mainstream media. 

The gulf between conservatives and liberals 

Among the YouGov data collected 91 percent of conservatives say it’s never or rarely acceptable to feel joy over a political death. Just 73 percent of liberals agree.

Among the ‘very liberal,’ 24 percent openly condone such behavior.

The survey suggests the left are more accepting of violence and more likely to silence opposing voices – all the while accusing conservatives of the very ‘cancel culture’ they’ve helped to mainstream.