In the weeks since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, some on the Left have made calls to lower the temperature and re-humanize the other side. “I admired his passion and commitment to debate,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. “His senseless murder is a reminder of how important it is for all of us, across the political spectrum, to foster genuine discourse on issues that deeply affect us all without resorting to political violence.” New York Times columnist Ezra Klein wrote, “Kirk was practicing politics in exactly the right way. He was showing up to campuses and talking with anyone who would talk to him.” And, at BlueSky, the Left’s alternative to X, The Atlantic’s Sally Jenkins wrote, “I didn’t agree with much that he said, but he was interesting and he was growing, and his death is a significant loss for those who believe engagement can help bridge disagreements.”
