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Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly reacted to the assassination of Charlie Kirk this week, calling the killing “disgusting” and using it as evidence of a deep fracture in American society during remarks at the Valdai Discussion Club. His comments were loudly amplified by state media and immediately repurposed as proof that the United States is unraveling while Moscow points fingers.
Conservatives should not be naive: Putin’s lecture on American instability smells like geopolitical opportunism, not genuine concern for our civic life. Moscow’s tone-deaf virtue signaling conveniently distracts from its own aggressions abroad and its long record of weaponizing information to weaken rivals. The Kremlin even issued denials when accused of exploiting the tragedy, but those denials ring hollow given what independent monitors have documented.
Make no mistake — our adversaries at state-run outlets in Moscow, Beijing and Tehran moved quickly to spin the story, amplifying narratives meant to inflame divisions and undermine confidence in American institutions. Those foreign actors are happy to point to violence here as evidence that democracy is failing, while simultaneously exporting their own lies to domestic audiences. Americans must recognize the pattern: our enemies cheer discord and feed chaos because a divided America is a weaker America.
At home, the facts remain brutal and straightforward: prosecutors charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder after the deadly attack at Utah Valley University, and authorities say evidence points to a politically motivated act. This was an act of political violence, and anyone who excuses or romanticizes it — whether in private chatrooms or on cable TV — is complicit in the rot that produces such tragedies. We owe it to Charlie’s memory to insist on a full, transparent prosecution and for law enforcement to have the tools they need.
The outpouring of American support for Charlie and his family — culminating in a massive memorial at State Farm Stadium attended by tens of thousands, including national leaders — showed the country at its best: citizens coming together to mourn and to stand firm against intimidation. That sea of red, white and blue was a message to both domestic extremists and foreign manipulators that patriots will not be cowed. The enormity of that public memorial was a rebuke to the narrative that the American experiment is failing.
Practical lessons must follow the grief: colleges and event organizers need to tighten security, Republican and Democratic leaders must condemn political violence uniformly, and social platforms must finally be held accountable for allowing celebratory or incitive posts to spread. Conservatives believe in free speech, but freedom without responsibility invites bloodshed; private platforms and public officials alike must act to prevent rhetoric from spilling into real-world carnage.
In the end, Putin’s sermon about American decline should only steel our resolve. We will not allow foreign tyrants to score propaganda points after one of our own was murdered. Hardworking Americans must demand law and order, defend free expression, and reject the cynical attempts by adversaries to turn our sorrow into strategic advantage.
