The Biden Admin Smeared Charlie Kirk As A Violent Extremist — Now They Must Be Held Accountable

When President Donald Trump announced Charlie Kirk’s death, he vowed to find those responsible for political violence, as well as the “organizations that fund it and support it.” He need look no further than his predecessor and those in the Biden administration. Their attacks on legitimate political speech went far beyond a misuse of funds. They were criminal.

The Media Research Center (MRC) has long warned about the reckless rhetoric coming from federal agencies aimed at destroying conservative leaders and movements, including Kirk and his organization, Turning Point USA.

Two years ago, the MRC released bombshell documents exposing how the Biden administration exploited tax dollars to smear Christians, conservatives and Republicans via the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program (TVTP).

Under a program supposedly aimed at combating “extremism,” the DHS funneled funds to the University of Dayton that promoted a “pyramid of far-right radicalization.’

That pyramid outrageously lumped in Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, and other mainstream conservative groups with neo-Nazis and other extremists. The message is unmistakable: the federal government legitimized the idea that mainstream conservative groups paved the way for domestic terrorists.

Among the groups included in the “radicalization” pyramid were the American Conservative Union Foundation, the pro-police Blue Lives Matter movement, Breitbart, the Christian Broadcasting Network, Fox News, the Heritage Foundation, the Make America Great Again movement, the National Rifle Association, PragerU, the Republican Party and the Tea Party Patriots. (RELATED: Biden Calls MAGA Supporters ‘The Most Extreme Political Organization’ In ‘Recent American History’)

Kirk himself shared MRC’s report on X under the caption, “Breaking: Biden DHS paid $40 million on ‘anti-terrorism’ program comparing TPUSA, Heritage, PragerU to Nazis, using Antifa propaganda.”

BREAKING: Biden DHS paid $40 MILLION on ‘Anti-Terrorism’ program comparing TPUSA, Heritage, Prager U to Nazis, using Antifa propaganda https://t.co/2JvnaYaNgI

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 25, 2023

After the bombshell, MRC founder Brent Bozell joined Kirk on “The Charlie Kirk Podcast” to break down the revelations.

“It is now unequivocal, a proven documented fact that the Biden administration is using federal funds to go after Republicans, to go after conservative organizations and to go after Christian organizations,” Bozell told Kirk at the time. “And by the way, Charlie, they have targeted Turning Point USA as part of this.”

Kirk, seemingly disgusted, asked, “Is this illegal? It certainly feels as if the federal government should not be legally allowed to use taxpayer funding to fund efforts that are categorizing organizations like ours as in symmetry with domestic terror?”

The Biden administration in 2024 again singled out Kirk. This time it came through a State Department-funded Ukrainian non government organization. The group, Texty, published what Fox News described as an “Enemies List” attacking individuals and groups that opposed U.S. funding to Ukraine. Turning Point USA and Kirk were among those listed.

TVTP and the Biden-tied Ukrainian list were just two of 57 censorship initiatives enacted by the previous administration to silence its detractors.

The Biden administration repeatedly vilified, dehumanized and falsely associated with hate and violence Kirk, his organization, and the broader conservative and Christian movement. (RELATED: Biden Says Trump Is ‘Sort Of Like’ Nazi Propaganda Official Joseph Goebbels) 

Former President Biden may have condemned Kirk’s murder in a carefully worded statement, but his administration’s record of targeting conservatives with federal resources and public smears helped create a climate in which extremist violence is normalized.

America cannot afford to ignore this reality in the wake of Kirk’s assassination. When government agencies, activist groups, and the media weaponize rhetoric against political opponents, it puts lives at risk. Kirk’s tragic death is a stark reminder that words have consequences — and that the forces seeking to delegitimize conservative voices must be held accountable before more lives are lost.

Luis Cornelio is associate editor of Free Speech America at the Media Research Center.