Stephen Colbert reacts to Charlie Kirk shooting with a message about political violence

September 11, 2025

A man in a suit sits behind a talk show desk.

Stephen Colbert has reacted to the death of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing influencer with tens of millions of social media followers who was shot and killed during an event at a college campus in Utah. Kirk was an ally of President Trump and the founder of Turning Point USA, a movement that aimed to spread right-wing viewpoints across school campuses.

"After our scripts for tonight's show were finished this afternoon, we here at The Late Show learned that Charlie Kirk, a prominent right-wing activist, was killed at a speaking engagement in Utah," says Colbert in the clip above, which preceded the main show.

"Our condolences go out to his family and all his loved ones. I'm old enough to personally remember the political violence of the 1960s, and I hope it is obvious to everyone in America that political violence does not solve any of our political differences. Political violence only leads to more political violence. And I pray with all my heart that this is the aberrant action of a mad man, and not a sign of things to come."

Previous Article
The coolest iPhone 17 cases you can buy for your new phone, starting from just $29
The coolest iPhone 17 cases you can buy for your new phone, starting from just $29

Mashable's senior shopping reporter rounds up a list of brands that have started selling Apple iPhone 17 ca...

Next Article
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 11, 2025
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 11, 2025

Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words...