Tucker Carlson Warns Trump Administration Could Exploit Charlie Kirk’s Death to Silence Free Speech
By Rob McConnell | TWATNews.com | Thursday, September 18, 2025
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson is warning Americans to brace for a potential assault on the First Amendment in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, cautioning that the Trump administration may seize on the tragedy to impose restrictions on free speech.
On the Sept. 16 edition of Tucker Carlson LIVE, Carlson told his audience that the rhetoric emerging from Washington suggests a deliberate attempt to weaponize Kirk’s death.
“You hope Charlie Kirk’s death won’t be used by a group we now call bad actors to create a society that was the opposite of the one he worked to build,” Carlson said.
“You hope the turmoil we’re seeing won’t be leveraged to bring hate speech laws to this country. And trust me—if that does happen—there is never a more justified moment for civil disobedience than that.”
Carlson underscored his point with a dire warning:
“If they can tell you what to say, and they’re telling you what to think, there is nothing they can’t do to you, because they don’t consider you human.”
Fallout From Kirk’s Assassination
Kirk, 31, was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking at a Utah college during his “American Comeback” tour. The shooting shocked the conservative movement and immediately ignited political tensions.
Trump-appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi announced soon after that the Justice Department would “absolutely target” individuals engaging in “hate speech.” Critics quickly interpreted the remark as a veiled threat aimed at silencing dissenters.
Adding irony to the controversy, a resurfaced 2024 social media post from Kirk himself declared:
“Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment. Keep America free.”
Jimmy Kimmel Taken Off Air
Carlson’s comments proved prophetic just one day later. On Sept. 17, ABC indefinitely pulled comedian Jimmy Kimmel from the air after Nexstar—the nation’s largest television station owner—refused to broadcast Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In his Sept. 15 monologue, Kimmel criticized MAGA supporters’ reaction to Kirk’s killing, suggesting without evidence that suspected shooter Tyler Robinson had ties to Trump’s movement. He also mocked Trump for boasting about his White House renovations while fielding questions about Kirk’s death.
Yet, Kimmel had initially offered a conciliatory message on Instagram following the assassination:
“Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human? … On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all victims of senseless gun violence.”
Trump Celebrates Crackdown
President Trump, joined by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, celebrated Kimmel’s removal. At a Sept. 18 press conference, Trump claimed Kimmel was “fired” due to “bad ratings” and insisted the host had “said a horrible thing about a great man named Charlie Kirk.”
“You can call that free speech or not,” Trump told reporters.
The Bigger Picture
Carlson’s warning and Kimmel’s silencing highlight an escalating clash between freedom of expression and political power. With the administration signaling tougher measures in the name of honoring Kirk, critics argue the First Amendment is entering a new era of peril.
Whether Americans respond with the “civil disobedience” Carlson invoked—or accept restrictions in the name of order—may define the next chapter of free speech in the United States.