Back in April, Charlie Kirk warned about the rise of “assassination culture” among the American left. He cited a survey showing nearly half of liberals believe it’s at least somewhat justified to kill Elon Musk; a majority feel similarly about President Trump. Kirk wisely reminded us that this attitude is not isolated, but the logical result of years in which leftist protest culture has tolerated growing violence, and authorities have failed to stop it.
That warning takes on chilling significance now after Kirk’s assassinated last month at a campus event at Utah Valley University. What happened on September 10th isn’t just one violent act, but the fruit of a political culture that the left has cultivated over decades.
Universities, the media, entertainment, politics, even Big Tech—these institutions have encouraged rhetoric that blurs the line between disagreement and existential threat. When public figures portray their ideological opponents not merely as wrong, but as evil, then violence becomes easier to imagine and justify. In fact, the mainstream leftist rhetoric of grievance, revolution, and indignation has laid the intellectual groundwork for justifying maximum violence against their opposition — exactly what happened to Charlie Kirk.
So what should the right do now? For one, we cannot simply call for “turning down the heat.” Chaos serves the leftist revolution—not the conservative defense of constitutional order. What’s called for is institutional response: law enforcement and justice must investigate and, where possible, penalize organizations and individuals who promote or fund leftist radicalism—whether Antifa, BLM, or any group linked to radical ideology. This may mean legal scrutiny of donor networks, expulsion of politicians who celebrate violence, and applying the law fully against radical activist groups.
In short: this is not merely political disagreement anymore. It’s a fundamental conflict. America must choose: a constitutional republic of free citizens, or a leftist revolutionary movement that seeks to remake institutions through violence. To preserve liberty, the conservatives must respond forcefully—but lawfully—and refuse to accept the left’s political violence as the new normal.
This will certainly be a topic discussed at our upcoming event in St. Louis on November 1st. If you would like to take part in Eagle Council 54, you’ll find all the information at PhyllisSchlafly.com. Speakers, panels, Q&A sessions, and grassroots networking — it’s all part of our Eagle Council agenda! Don’t miss this spectacular event if you can help it. Again, visit PhyllisSchlafly.com for more, and join us for the next installment of the Phyllis Schlafly Report.
This post originally appeared at https://phyllisschlafly.com/liberalism-and-conservatism/leftist-tactics-demand-institutional-responses/
Phyllis Schlafly