City Journal Audio – "Political Violence in America: A New Era?"

Date: September 15, 2025
Host: Kerry Seropoulos
Guests: Jesse Arm (VP of External Affairs), Josh Appel (Policy Analyst), Stu Smith (Investigative Analyst)

Episode Overview

The episode addresses the shocking assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk—a major figure in the American right—and unpacks what his killing reveals about new forms of political violence, online radicalization, and ideological polarization in contemporary America. The panel analyzes the motivations and cultural signals in the assassination, the subsequent reactions on social and mainstream media, and connects these events to broader trends in crime, ideology, policy, and civic life. The latter part explores recent violent crimes linked to repeat offenders and debates the influence of activist NGOs on justice policies. The guests ultimately reflect on sources of hope and resilience amid escalating disorder and pessimism.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Remembering Charlie Kirk and the Nature of the Attack

• Kirk's Unprecedented Assassination

  • Jesse Arm: "Charlie Kirk's assassination is differentiated from many of the other kind of political tragedies that we've seen because it's a break with precedent in so many ways." (01:22)
    • Noted that targeting a grassroots, mainstream conservative—rather than a head of state—signals a troubling escalation.
    • Kirk's focus on debate and dialogue, especially on hostile college campuses, made conservatism feel "younger, more confident, and more mainstream" (02:30).
    • Jesse recalls the personal impact of hearing Kirk speak and being won over by his "mix of charisma and humor and really relentless preparation." (02:54)

• Kirk’s Character and Approach

  • Josh Appel observed Kirk’s “elegance”—"I’ve never seen a clip of him, as far as my knowledge extends, of him yelling or exuding any ad hominem attack." (03:43)
  • Jesse Arm acknowledges Kirk could be combative, but that it made him “prepared for the political warfare that we were entering in the Trump era.”
  • Kirk consistently warned against online radicalization and conspiracy rabbit holes on the right: “Charlie was someone who, until the very end, cautioned aggressively against that instinct and was trying to build a healthier right.” (05:35)

2. Parsing the Assassin’s Identity and Motivations

• Engravings on Bullet Casings

  • Stu Smith explains four distinct inscriptions:
    1. "Hey Fascist Catch" with a video game input from Helldivers 2 (07:07)
    2. "Bella Ciao" - an Italian anti-fascist song with deep roots in leftist activism; previously cited by radical actors. (07:23)
    3. "If you read this, you're gay. lmao" - described as nihilistic Gen Z humor.
    4. "notices bulge owo what's this" - traced to “furry” and intersectional online subcultures. (09:00)
  • Robinson, the suspect, lived in fringe Internet spaces blending anti-fascism and ironic Gen Z aesthetics. Smith: "Robinson was clearly someone who was on the Internet way too much." (08:08)

• Assassin’s Radical Identity

  • Robinson was identified with the furry community and a nontraditional gender identity, debunking claims he was far-right; his slogans and social media activity were strongly coded leftist/Antifa. (10:00)
  • Stu Smith: "It's disingenuous for anyone to push it as anything other than that." (11:07)

• Online Meme-Driven Violence and ‘Luigism’

  • Jesse Arm connects Kirk's assassination to "Luigism" (ref.: Luigi Mangione, another recent ideological killer):
    • Describes it as "an online meme driven ideology which says violence is justified in instances where it punishes capitalism, Zionism, or...American capitalism." (11:44)

3. Public and Elite Reactions: Celebrating Political Murder

• Widespread Approval and the Psychology of Dehumanization

  • Panelists shocked by the widespread celebration of Kirk’s killing, especially among educators, government officials, and youth. Stu Smith: "It's to a level that I've never seen before in terms of barbarity and just extreme malice." (17:34)
  • Josh Appel gives historical context: modern terror traces back to the French Revolution and is amplified by atomization and social media. "We have inverted the moral underpinnings of good and evil." (15:02)
  • The show discusses examples: a Canadian teacher reportedly forced students to watch the assassination on repeat, public celebrations by public figures, and social media virality.

• Elite-Driven, Envy-Fueled Nihilism

  • Jesse Arm underscores the peculiar “elite-driven” nature of much left-wing nihilism (19:40), referencing Oscar/Emmy speeches with radical messages and noting how these gestures grab attention rather than enact real change.

4. Debating ‘Cancel Culture’ for Celebrating Violence

• Distinguishing Between Cancel Culture and Accountability
  • The hosts agree that being fired for celebrating murder is not "cancel culture"—it's a just consequence for violating workplace norms and basic decency:
    • Stu Smith: “I don’t think it's remotely cancel culture. I don't want to work with someone who is celebrating murder.” (22:12)
    • Jesse Arm: "If somebody made a horrific comment like that during a staff meeting...there'd immediately be a social cost for it." (23:01)
  • Social media expands the “public square,” making undisciplined, extreme opinions visible and actionable.

5. Crime, Recidivism, and the Politics of Disorder

• The Charlotte Stabbing and ‘Disorder is a Choice’

  • Discussion shifts to the murder of an innocent woman on light rail by a repeat offender, raising the issue of public policy, mental illness, and public safety.
  • Appel: “Progressive lawmakers...have committed themselves to social justice over actual justice.” (25:39)
  • Causal factors include ideological bias toward blaming the system, not the individual, for heinous acts.

• Militarized Responses and Shifting Public Opinion

  • Jesse Arm notes the overwhelmingly positive public response to National Guard deployments in Washington, D.C. and Memphis, even among left-leaning leaders and citizens. (29:22)
  • The panel notes that tangible crime reductions demonstrate the effectiveness of visible security and “broken windows” principles.

• The Influence of Ideological NGOs on Progressive Prosecution

  • Josh Appel summarizes how groups like the Wren Collective embed themselves in prosecutors’ offices, promoting maximalist progressive positions—often against the wishes of the urban electorate. (31:35)
  • Arm describes this as a permanent, well-funded apparatus that prevents politicians from calibrating policy to voter preferences, e.g., on crime or women's sports. (32:59)

6. Strategies of Resistance and Civic Restoration

• Public Art and Political Memory

  • The group discusses whether painting murals of crime victims can raise the salience of the consequences of progressive crime policies.
  • Smith supports it as “one tactic,” while Arm, with characteristic humor, sees value “even if it is AI Slop.” (39:41)
  • Cultural and policy responses are both urged: “We need more to fight this because it feels like a losing battle sometimes.” (39:20 – Smith)

• Literature, Faith, and Spiritual Resilience

  • In closing, the panel recommends sources of courage and hope:
    • Josh Appel: C.S. Lewis and Tolkien for mythic visions of good over evil. (41:18)
    • Stu Smith: Virgil’s Aeneid—lessons of perseverance and rising from tragedy. (41:43)
    • Jesse Arm: Psalm 23—"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil." (42:31)
    • Kerry Seropoulos: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway for courage amid darkness. (43:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jesse Arm on Kirk’s uniqueness:
  “Charlie really dominated in all of those aspects, and beyond just that, built a behemoth of an organization that…actually went on to far surpass…even the Republican Party nationally, the Republican National Committee, at least in terms of its importance to the American right.” (13:08)

• Josh Appel on cultural decay:
  “We have become so atomized and really inverted the moral underpinnings of good and evil… evil people are not responsible for their actions, but instead are products of a system.” (15:02)

• Stu Smith on the reaction to Kirk’s murder:
  “It’s to a level that I never seen before in terms of barbarity and just extreme malice.” (17:34)

• Jesse Arm on social sanctions:
  “When they…create a permission structure by which we say political people with the wrong beliefs…should be killed and we should celebrate it, you’re actually moving into action territory. It’s no longer just a thought crime.” (24:16)

• Jesse Arm on progressive influencers:
  “There is a massive army of extremely well funded ideological groups, non governmental organizations…that fund people who are intensely ideological…and who work in a kind of pure permanent extra governmental bureaucracy that makes it incredibly difficult for the Democratic Party...to respond to the fact that a majority of Democratic voters…don’t want biological men playing in women’s sports...” (33:03)

Key Timestamps

• [01:22] – Jesse Arm reflects on Kirk’s unique legacy and the precedent-breaking nature of his assassination.
• [03:43] – Josh Appel and Jesse Arm discuss Kirk’s demeanor and approach to political discourse.
• [07:07] – Stu Smith details the inscriptions on the bullet casings.
• [09:00] – Explanation of fringe online subcultures implicated in the killer’s identity.
• [11:44] – Jesse Arm explains "Luigism" and its connection to meme-driven violence.
• [15:02] – Josh Appel provides philosophical and historical context for the cultural acceptance of political murder.
• [17:34] – Stu Smith details the scope and intensity of reactions to Kirk’s killing.
• [22:12–24:16] – Panel consensus: firing those who celebrate murder is not “cancel culture,” but accountability.
• [25:39] – Charlotte stabbing as case study in policy failures and ideological blind spots.
• [29:22] – Jesse Arm discusses deterrence effects of National Guard in cities.
• [31:35–33:03] – The role of ideological NGOs in shaping progressive prosecutorial agendas and disconnect with voters.
• [38:55–40:31] – Debating the merits and limits of public art as a form of activism.
• [41:18–43:36] – Closing recommendations: readings, faith, and sources of resilience.

Closing Reflections

The panel warns that America is entering a perilous new era wherein political violence is meme-driven, radicalization is viral, and mainstream institutions too often cheer on or rationalize extremism. Still, they urge listeners to seek fortitude in faith, art, and the enduring strengths of Western civilization while fighting to reclaim public policy and moral norms from ideological radicals—left and right alike.

Suggested Reading List from the Panel:

• The Book of Psalms (Bible)
• Virgil’s Aeneid
• Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls
• Any works by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

Final Wisdom:
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23 – cited at 42:31 by Jesse Arm)

For further discussion:
Comment, subscribe, and let the City Journal team know your interests for future episodes.