Radio host Charlamagne Tha God offered his thoughts on the murder of Charlie Kirk, saying the conservative firebrand knew “there is a cost to everything.”
Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University. The suspect is still at large. Speaking on his morning radio show “The Breakfast Club,” Charlamagne said the threat of gun violence is constant in the United States.
“I’m a media personality. I don’t want to live in a country where media personalities are being shot and killed for their opinions or what they believe, but I also know that as much as we like to point to the First Amendment and say we all have freedom of speech, we are not free from the consequences of said speech,” he said.
Charlamagne said that public figures need to be “mindful” of everything they say in a heavily armed country.
“There is a cost to everything that comes out of our mouth, and unfortunately, we don’t get to set the price. And I must say, Charlie Kirk understood the price of our freedom more than most,” he said.
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Charlamagne highlighted a statement from Kirk that made the rounds on social media in the aftermath of the shooting. Kirk had suggested that occasional gun deaths were an acceptable cost for preserving constitutional rights, calling it a “prudent deal” and “rational.” The host questioned the logic of such rhetoric, expressing doubt that those who advocate extreme views fully consider the personal risks.
“Do they think they might be one of those deaths? Is it worth it when one of those casualties is you or someone you love?” Charlamagne asked. “Even if Charlie Kirk had a gun yesterday, it wouldn’t have protected him. When someone got the drop on you, they got you. Only thing that could’ve saved Charlie Kirk yesterday was keeping guns out of the hands of violent extremists like the person who killed him. And the only way to do that is with common sense gun reform.”
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