Statement On The Death Of Charlie

Washington, D.C. — September 10, 2025

We are deeply saddened to learn that Charlie Kirk has died following today’s shooting. At this moment, we do not know who carried out this attack, why it was done, or what the motivation may have been. What we do know — and what must be said clearly — is that violence has no place in American political discourse. Acts like this erode our democracy, corrode civil society, and deepen the divisions already threatening our nation.

As former senior officials who have dedicated our careers to protecting American security — Ambassadors, CIA Station Chiefs, FBI Special Agents, and others — we recognize the warning signs. A climate of rising violence and lawlessness is not random; it is one of the preconditions that allows authoritarianism to take root. It does not matter whether one agreed with Charlie Kirk’s politics or not. His killing is a tragedy, a symptom of the degradation of civil society, and a dangerous signal of how far our political culture has fallen.

We call on leaders of every party, and every American, to reject violence, reject intimidation, and recommit to democracy and the rule of law. Anything less leaves the door open to dictatorship.