Letter: Charlie Kirk & Khruschevism
Charlie Kirk was just 31 years old. He had, not long ago, become a husband and then a father to two young children. His life was tragically cut short when he was shot and killed during a public event at Utah Valley University as part of the “American Comeback Tour.”
If you were attending a funeral, would you say negative things about the deceased and ask why he’s getting attention? If the answer is no, why are people doing it now to those who are genuinely sad about this man’s passing?
When I said “Sign a peace deal with Russia. It’s what Charlie wanted,” one friend of mine claimed that this was “fandom.” Saying something nice about the deceased, or even honoring the deceased, is not fandom. It is basic human decency, or at least it used to be; when someone passed away, you either said something kind, or you said nothing at all. This person’s remark misunderstands Peter Coffin’s thesis about fandom, because the main point is not that it’s somehow bad to honor individuals, but that certain political communities have lost their deeper political substance because it’s more about our‑guy‑versus‑their‑guy instead of consistent principles.
Another friend suggested that Charlie Kirk was a contributor to the culture of political violence that we all in CPI so strongly oppose. While I don’t have a record of everything Mr. Kirk said in his political career, I fail to see how he would have contributed. It seems his main thing was promoting American‑style conservatism among young people, especially in the context of open debate on college campuses. Charlie was often civil and respectful while others shouted at him.
Many of the disrespectful responses to the death of Charlie Kirk are clear examples of what Caleb Maupin has helped us to understand is “Khruschevism”: after Joseph Stalin died, Nikita Khrushchev defamed him in order to distance himself from him and in order to appease the imperial West. He created a narrative about “the evil genius of one man” that has been hijacked by the imperialists to destroy political movements and atomize people.
Charlie Kirk was not an anti-imperialist, though his views on Israel may have been shifting. However, people are defaming or at least insulting Charlie Kirk in order to distance themselves from him and in order to appease the hateful “synthetic left” that labels all anti-imperialists as “fascist” and believes disagreeing with mainstream media means you should be killed. The U.S ruling class is currently encouraging the “Pay more attention to me! I’m a special freethinker! I’m not in a political cult!” impulses that exist within all of us, pushing us to think with a scarcity mindset. I encourage people to check out the CPI book “Khruschevism: A Study in Psychological Warfare,” which can be found for free in audiobook form.
I also wanted to touch on the culture of political violence. Immediately after the killing of Brian Thompson, Caleb Maupin called this out for what it was: the beginning of an American “years of lead” (Operation Gladio) and predicted it would get worse unless we do something peaceful to stop it. The book on why we now have a culture of political violence and what we can do to stop it is *The Danger of an American Years of Lead* by Caleb Maupin, which also has a free audiobook.
By making people afraid to get involved in political activist, have open discussions, or say unpopular things about politics like Charlie did, this terrible act of political violence serves the status quo. Charlie Kirk’s position on Palestine was clearly improving. Perhaps Charlie’s well‑documented pro‑Israel donors did not want such a big influencer to “go the wrong way” and take many people with him.
“Sign a peace deal with Russia. It’s what Charlie wanted.” 🇺🇸 🇷🇺
Charlie Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve Kirk, and their two young children.
His legacy will be complicated—as many legacies are—but let us not forget that, in his work, he sought free speech and other American values. Let us remember decency, especially now. Let us honor what we can.
Gavin Lockard is a longtime member of the Center for Political Innovation and a co-founder of Students and Youth for a New America. He recently spoke at the CPI 2025 Great Unity Convention in Chicago about how his Christian faith and his anti-imperialist politics walk hand in hand.