California Gov. Gavin Newsom has paid tribute to slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in a post offering a way to pay respect to his memory.
After the shocking shooting of Kirk at a college campus in Utah on Wednesday afternoon, Newsom initially posted on X that the attack was “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible” and called for America to reject political violence “in EVERY form.”
Following his death, Newsom made a passionate post, pointing out his history with Kirk while suggesting how best to honor him.
The 31-year-old right-wing activist was the first guest on the This Is Gavin Newsom podcast when it launched in March this year. The pair had a respectful and friendly debate, including the governor admitting his 13-year-old son wanted to stay home from school to meet Kirk, whom he followed on TikTok.
“You are making a damn dent,” Newsom told Kirk of the impact he was having on youth, including his own family. “It’s the reason you are here, people need to understand your success and influence.”
In a Wednesday night post on his personal X account following the news of Kirk’s death, Newsom suggested, “The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work. Engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse.”
He added: “In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate—never through violence. Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation.”
“We should all feel a deep sense of grief and outrage at the terrible violence that took place in Utah today,” the 57-year-old continued. “Charlie Kirk’s murder is sick and reprehensible, and our thoughts are with his family, children, and loved ones. I knew Charlie, and I admired his passion and commitment to debate.”
He added, “His senseless murder is a reminder of how important it is for all of us, across the political spectrum, to foster genuine discourse on issues that deeply affect us all without resorting to political violence.”
After Kirk’s death, people returned to the comments section on Newsom’s podcast interview on YouTube to echo the governor’s wishes. It is the most-watched of his podcasts with over 940,000 views. His interview with congresswoman Jasmine Crockett has just over 800,000 views.
Newsom led tributes from a number of high-profile Democrats.
Ex-President Barack Obama reflected on the manhunt for the shooter, who authorities are still hunting for at time of publishing.
“We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy,” Obama wrote. “Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.”
Another former president, Joe Biden, posted on X that he and his wife Jill were praying for Kirk’s family and loved ones.
“There is no place in our country for this kind of violence,” Biden wrote. “It must end now.”
Biden’s Vice President Kamala Harris said on X, meanwhile, that she was “deeply disturbed” by the assassination.
“Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America,” she wrote. “I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
Democratic congresswoman Jasmine Crockett also called for understanding despite political differences.
“Today’s act of political violence in Utah against Charlie Kirk is absolutely disgusting and unacceptable,” she posted. “We don’t have to agree on everything, but we should all agree on this: political violence is wrong, and has no place in our democracy.”
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declared, “The scourge of gun violence and political violence must end.”
“The shooting of Charlie Kirk is the latest incident of this chaos and it must stop. We cannot go down this road,” she posted.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the shooting “reprehensible.”
“Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation,” Pelosi wrote on X, calling out the “trauma” of gun violence.
Sen. Bernie Sanders echoed the thoughts on X, “Political violence has no place in this country. We must condemn this horrifying attack.”
DNC Chair Ken Martin also called for political debate to remain respectful.
“Today, in yet another horrific act of targeted political violence, Charlie Kirk was murdered in cold blood on a school campus,” Martin said in a statement. “Though we’re still awaiting further details, in all likelihood, he was murdered for expressing his beliefs.”
He added, “Let me be clear: even if you disagree with someone’s beliefs, even if you stand against every single thing they stand for, the path of disagreement must never lead to what happened today at Utah Valley University.“
“Over the past year, we’ve seen far too much violence,” Martin said. “Political leaders targeted at rallies, lawmakers and their families shot in their own homes, children gunned down in a church, and now an execution on a college campus. It is unacceptable.”
