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You can say what you want about his politics, but there is no denying that a big part of Charlie Kirk’s legacy was his willingness to go to traditionally liberal strongholds such as college campuses to engage with people who expressed opposing viewpoints. And, while Republicans pledged to uphold that legacy following Kirk’s murder on Wednesday, they have a funny way of showing it. 

Because, according to the Trump administration, GOP-led state governments, and the social media MAGA mob, you can’t say what you want about Kirk’s politics… at least not without facing serious consequences.

Based on his own words, the right-wing organizer would be appalled. 

“You should be allowed to say outrageous things,” Kirk told his audience at the Oxford Union Society earlier this year. “You should be allowed to say contrarian things.”

Calling free speech a “birthright,” he reminded his audience at the event that, one day, their political opponents could be in charge, and then they would like to be able to exercise that right.

“When that happens, do you want [a hypothetical right-wing Prime Minister] Nigel Farage to be able to lock you up if you criticize his government?” he asked members of the 200-year-old debating society.

The Trump administration clearly does not share that sentiment and vowed to retaliate against government employees and “foreigners” who reacted to Kirk’s murder in a way it deems to be inappropriate.

“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American,” stated Department of Defense spokesman Sean Parnell. “The Department of War has zero tolerance for it.”

His boss, Fox News morning show host-turned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, said the Pentagon would be tracking these cases “very closely” and will “address” them.

Now, we are not advocating for anybody to celebrate Kirk’s death. It’s odious. However, we do believe that people should be allowed to say what they want about him, even if it is in poor taste, without the government coming after them for it. 

Also, who defines what it means to “mock” the assassination? Does pointing out that he was a fierce supporter of the Second Amendment and then became a victim of gun violence count as “mocking”? 

And it’s not just the more than 3 million people on the payroll of the DOD who have to watch what they say, but also “foreigners.” 

“In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” stated Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. “I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action. Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so that the [State Department] can protect the American people.”

In other words, if you are visiting the US or live there on any kind of visa, the Trump administration wants you to hold your tongue. 

Meanwhile, over in Congress, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) wants to permanently shut down the social media accounts of anybody who says things about Kirk that he doesn’t like. 

“I’m going to use Congressional authority and every influence with big tech platforms to mandate immediate ban for life of every post or commenter that belittled the assassination of Charlie Kirk,” he said. “If they ran their mouth with their smartass hatred celebrating the heinous murder of that beautiful young man who dedicated his whole life to delivering respectful conservative truth into the hearts of liberal enclave universities, armed only with a Bible and a microphone and a Constitution… those profiles must come down.” 

Higgins didn’t stop there. 

“I’m also going after their business licenses and permitting, their businesses will be blacklisted aggressively, they should be kicked from every school, and their driver’s licenses should be revoked,” he added. “I’m basically going to cancel with extreme prejudice these evil, sick animals who celebrated Charlie Kirk’s assassination. I’m starting that today.”

Easy there, tough guy! 

That’s an incredibly stupid and anti-American thing to say — but we still believe he should have the right to say it. That’s how free speech works.

It’s important to note that it’s not just the federal government that is trying this new form of censorship.

For example, Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas fired off a memo to the state’s school district superintendents to make sure that their teachers know to watch their mouths. 

“Teachers are held to a higher standard as public servants and must ensure their conduct does not undermine the trust of the students and families they serve,” Kamoutsas said. “We will hold teachers who choose to make disgusting comments about the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk accountable. Govern yourselves accordingly.” 

It seems as though Florida is trying to do the governing of speech here. And what are “disgusting” comments? And is the same warning to be issued any time there is an act of political violence — against, say, a Democratic office-holder or influencer? 

And when it’s not Republican officials who want to censor speech, it’s a MAGA online lynch mob that’s combing through social media channels to find anybody who said something about Kirk that they deem to be unacceptable and then trying to get them fired or make their lives miserable. 

The right-wing activists behind accounts like “Libs of TikTok” and “Catturd” spent their day Thursday outing people whose posts they didn’t like and then celebrated their dubious achievement.

“To all the hundreds of demonic teachers who have been fired today. You thought you were going to dance on the grave of Charlie Kirk to your 10 friends. We made sure the world saw what a scumbag POS loser you are,” wrote “Catturd” to his 3.8 million followers on X. “I’m so happy millions of people found out what a lowlife you are in real life. My hope is that you can never find employment again, you deserve it, you’re evil.”

Now, we don’t know how Kirk would have felt about this free speech purge being carried out in his name. 

For example, it is worth noting that his actions did not always meet his rhetoric. Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, maintains a “Professor Watchlist,” the mission of which is “to expose and document college professors who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom.”

In that sense, maybe all these Republicans are following his example.

However, based on his own words, he should have at least objected to it on philosophical grounds.

At the very least, he would have realized that, if for no other reason, censorship is bad policy because what goes around will surely come around at some point. 

When that happens, we’ll still be here fighting for the same principles of free speech that Republicans are abandoning now that they are the ones in power.