# Charlie Kirk is Dead **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 11, 2025, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935 "2025-09-11T07:35:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/321 "2025-09-24T14:06:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > His “debates” were highly edited to make sure you saw what he wanted you to see. I forgot to mention that part. In fact, it seemed as if one of the main reasons for holding these college “events” was to gather material for his YouTube channel. Kirk claimed the videos “weren’t edited”, but they clearly were, since they quickly jumped from one questioner to another. And, strangely, all of the questioners appeared to be dumbasses that he easily dismissed. The debate mentioned by the OP, with 12 college students in one room, appeared to be a kind of cross between his reasonable one-on-one persona and the raging maniac in front of large crowds. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/322 "2025-12-03T21:58:35Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > In February 1962, Thornley wrote a work titled _The Idle Warriors_, which is believed to be the only book about Lee Harvey Oswald written before Oswald infamously assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Just wanted to say I just finished reading Thornley’s book, and it was surprisingly readable. Definitely felt like a first book, but not bad. Mostly a string of chapters on various Marines and essentially what they did on leave. Interesting for that window in time, if nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/323 "2025-12-04T14:35:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > His “debates” were highly edited to make sure you saw what he wanted you to see. Any real debating from knowledgeable people wasn’t allowed. Also note various other bad faith tactics like: 1. Preparing gotchas like “What is a woman?” that often had nothing to do with the topic but were aimed at getting the person onto the defensive 2. Having his assistants interview potential interlocutors first, to prepare things that charlie could pretend to “guess” about his opponent, and use for gotchas like in (1) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/324 "2025-12-04T14:59:09Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Having his assistants interview potential interlocutors first, to prepare things that charlie could pretend to “guess” about his opponent, and use for gotchas like in (1) So, good old fashioned Hot Reading! Nice to see grifters still using the classic scams. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/325 "2025-12-04T15:39:35Z")
> **[Bari Weiss To Moderate CBS News Town Hall With Erika Kirk](https://deadline.com/2025/12/bari-weiss-town-hall-erika-kirk-1236635747/)** > > The CBS News leader will go before the cameras at an event next week. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/326 "2025-12-04T16:27:08Z")
Sorry, what has she done to earn a town hall? ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/327 "2025-12-04T19:18:39Z")
The head of CBS News wants to trigger the libs and prove her fealty to MAGA. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/328 "2025-12-04T19:25:15Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Sorry, what has she done to earn a town hall? Gave the world the right wing “Intellectual Dark web” idiot grifter brigade? Bari Weiss is the definition of failing up. Be a right wing idiot and you’ll just fail into money and more money. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/329 "2025-12-04T19:30:26Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > gotchas like “What is a woman?” that often had nothing to do with the topic but were aimed at getting the person onto the defensive If any right-wing transphobe tried to put me on the spot with that question, I’d answer solemnly, “No _true_ Scotswoman puts sugar on her porridge.” Put them on the back foot for a change while they ponder that. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/330 "2026-01-15T12:06:42Z")
Israel is honoring noted anti-semite Charlie Kirk: [Netanyahu announces Israel will honor Charlie Kirk with award for fighting antisemitism | The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/charlie-kirk-israel-award-antisemitism-b2900983.html?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Bluesky#Echobox=1768469423) ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/331 "2026-01-15T12:59:29Z")
Someone spent time pressuring Israel into that for absolutely no benefit to anyone wtf. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/332 "2026-01-15T13:00:32Z")
To most Israelis who’d heard of him, Kirk was just “That guy on YouTube who stood up for Israel”. Very few people here knew of any of his other beliefs, or ever saw him speak of anything else. In the Israeli mind, that makes him a Friend, and you stick by your friends, even if it turns out that they’re jerks. Netanyahu, of course, knows exactly who Kirk actually was. He’s just doing this to suck up to Trump and American Conservatives. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/333 "2026-01-15T13:18:41Z")
Among Israelis, is there any serious worry about the long term consequences of the alliance with the far right in America, and the dismantling of the alliance with the Democratic party? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/334 "2026-01-15T13:34:22Z")
In the center and the left, yes. Not so much on the right. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/335 "2026-01-15T14:55:53Z")
So the Israeli far right are OK with the Trump regime making lists of Jewish professors, and probably other Jewish people in the United States? Because historically, such lists were used to protect Jewish people from the non-Jewish citizenry? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/336 "2026-01-15T14:59:18Z")
The ADL was okay with Elon Musk doing a sieg heil on national TV. Nothing matters or makes sense anymore ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/337 "2026-01-15T15:27:46Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > So the Israeli far right are OK with the Trump regime making lists of Jewish professors, and probably other Jewish people in the United States? Because historically, such lists were used to protect Jewish people from the non-Jewish citizenry? Dude, we have our own problems. Do you really think everyone in Israel is keeping track of everything going on in your country? I know about American politics because I’m a Doper. Most Israelis don’t know much more about what’s going on the United States than you know about the inner workings of the Czech Republic. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/338 "2026-01-15T15:45:44Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Most Israelis don’t know much more about what’s going on the United States than you know about the inner workings of the Czech Republic. Yeah, I was actually surprised last time I was there that people knew even less about American politics than I expected. A lot of my family asked me about American politics, but none of them knew about people like Tucker Carlson, AOC or anyone from “the Squad” in general, MTG, Gavin Newsom, Nick Fuentes, and so on. I figured people wouldn’t be very aware of the details of American politics, but I thought they’d at least know more than Americans know about Israel, at least when it comes to people related to Israel, Jewish people, or Anti-Semitism. I _know_ I’ve seen most of these figures brought up in Israeli news before, but I guess if you aren’t already familiar with them the references to these people may not stick. Which is fair, I certainly don’t know much about French or German politics, for example. At least I got to talk people through the false slate of electors plot and it’s culmination on Jan 6 which I always like informing people about. On my last visit to Israel I heard Charlie Kirk brought up once, and like Alessan says, he was just described as “that American who was pro Israel and got assassinated on a college campus”. Israeli understanding of American politics is almost as shallow and two dimensional as American understanding of Israeli politics. There are two or three famous politicians and people know one or two things about each of them from which they create a caricature that’s more like people of that political wing in their own country than an accurate reflection of the politician in question. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/339 "2026-01-16T00:00:48Z")
I like The Promised Podcast [https://www.facebook.com/promisedpodcast/](https://www.facebook.com/promisedpodcast/) or [The Promised Podcast - TLV1 Podcasts](https://tlv1.fm/podcasts/the-promised-podcast-show/) for a more leftward view of Israeli politics and culture. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935/340 "2026-01-16T13:35:35Z")
A few month before he died, we were getting ready to play D&D when a party member excitedly showed the table a clip of Kirk defending Israel. I stated slagging on him, quoting stuff I had read here on the SDMB. Everybody looked at me like I was crazy. I sighed and dropped it. I don’t mean to criticize anyone, but there’s something insidious about the mistaken belief that Israelis are deeply invested in U.S. politics. It feeds the narrative that Israel is nothing more than a colony of America or “the West”, instead of a fairly insular country with its own interests and obsessions. We got our own thing going here, thank you very much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charlie-kirk-is-dead/1022935.md?page=18)