Conservatives are rallying around a message of ‘revival’ in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Political commentators told Fox News Digital that the right’s response to Kirk’s death stands in stark contrast to how the left reacted to the deaths of George Floyd, Michael Brown, and other high-profile cases involving police. Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, emphasized that after his assassination, there was no violence or rioting. Instead, there was a gathering in Phoenix, Arizona, where she called for peace and prayed for the country, echoing her late husband’s beliefs. She said, ‘We saw revival,’ which she defined as a return to values and unity.
In the aftermath of Kirk’s murder, conservatives have pointed out the contrast between their reaction and that of Democrats following George Floyd’s death. In 2020, Floyd’s death set off a chain reaction of violent protests that caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in cities like Minneapolis, Portland, and Seattle. This was fueled by elected Democrats who promoted defunding the police. The result, according to Fox News Digital, was a significant increase in the number of murders, especially affecting Black Americans. This has led to a discussion around the impacts of violent protests and how they have affected communities across the nation.
RNC surrogate and attorney Mehek Cooke emphasized the difference between the right’s response and the left’s. He stated that when Charlie Kirk was assassinated, conservatives didn’t riot, loot, or torch cities. Instead, they came together to pray and focus on revival. Cooke contrasted this with the left’s reaction to George Floyd, where riots, destruction, and a decline in community safety followed. The impact of this violence had long-lasting effects, as communities were not only financially burdened but also socially impacted, with many neighborhoods never recovering from the chaos.