The assassination of Charlie Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, conservative political activist, and founder of Turning Point USA, has sent shockwaves throughout the entire country. As of Thursday, Sept. 11, Kirk’s killer is still at large. Authorities still do not know who the shooter is and what their motivations were, but that hasn't stopped the formation of a thunderous chorus of powerful people across the right and far-right spectrum calling for retribution, from President Trump and Elon Musk to far-right influencers like Chaya Raichik and Laura Loomer. What will the societal fallout be from this high-profile assassination? Will the public murder of Kirk unleash a new wave of political repression? What possibilities should people be prepared for? In this urgent panel discussion, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez poses these questions to three experts on far-right politics: Shane Burley, Natasha Lennard, and Jared Holt.
Natasha Lennard is a columnist for The Intercept and the author of the book Being Numerous: Essays on Non-Fascist Life. She is the associate director of the Creative Publishing & Critical Journalism graduate program at the New School for Social Research in New York.
Jared Holt is the co-host of the podcast Posting Through It. He is a journalist and research analyst who has covered political extremism and hate movements in the United States for nearly a decade.