"The Trump/MAGA fascists have seized on the killing of Charlie Kirk to make even more clear that they will not be bound by, and are determined to run roughshod over, the Constitution and basic rights—including the crucial First Amendment right to free speech and protest. They have declared their intention to viciously repress any person, and any group, that says something about the killing of Charlie Kirk that these fascists do not like. Those being threatened and targeted include many who say clearly that the killing of Kirk was wrong, but also speak to the terrible words and actions of Kirk as part of Trump/MAGA fascism."

This is from a recent social media message from the revolutionary leader Bob Avakian, REVOLUTION #135, "Now the MAGA maniacs are openly proclaiming that they are fascists!"

This wave of repression is going full speed ahead even though the authorities in Utah (where Kirk was killed) have acknowledged that the alleged shooter seems to have acted on his own, and that they are not clear what ideology motivated him, if any. 

Kirk was a fascist agitator and organizer who played a major role in building the MAGA movement on college campuses. An open proponent of crude racism and sexism, and of Christian fascism, skilled at the demonization of transgender people, Kirk first became known for organizing the “Professor Watchlist” where students were encouraged to report any instructor who promoted “un-American ideas.” His so-called vigorous “free speech” debates included things like quoting the Bible and then gleefully telling a transgender person, “You are an abomination before God.” (See the accompanying quotes from Kirk himself that show he was a fascist.)

None of that justifies his murder, and as we said immediately after his death, his assassination “has nothing to do with any positive change, and certainly nothing to do with an emancipating transformation of society, which can only be brought about through a revolution, involving millions of people and aiming to sweep away this whole system and replace its relations and institutions of exploitation and oppression, and its putrid culture, with ones that are liberating and uplifting.” 

But starting almost immediately after Kirk's death, Trump and other top fascist leaders signaled that Kirk’s life was to be treated as a model and his death made into a holy martyrdom inspiring others to take up the fascist cause—any comments in social media or elsewhere that contradicted this were labeled as “justifying” Kirk’s death and were to be strictly verboten (forbidden). 

In the accompanying article (“From the Firing of Jimmy Kimmel to the Intensifying Assault on Free Speech and Rule of Law… ‘Fascism is not a looming threat. It is upon us now’”), we get into the most significant instances of this over the arc of the last week.  At the same time, it’s important to get a sense of the sheer scope of what has been unleashed among the MAGA minions.

Right-wing influencers and Trump administration officials have actively encouraged people to scour the internet and report on people making negative comments, with devastating effects on their lives. According to the New York Times, a Secret Service employee was placed on administrative leave after stating on Facebook the truth that Kirk had "spewed hate and racism on his show." Leaders of the Education Departments in Florida and Oklahoma both issued statements threatening to investigate and punish teachers who made any positive comments about the assassination, and some teachers in Texas and Iowa were either fired or placed on leave. And note: to these MAGA lunatics, “positive comments” can mean pointing to the hypocrisy of how MAGA is using this killing for political ends, as Jimmy Kimmel did, or even pointing out some of the truly vicious positions put forward by Kirk.

Other media reported on the termination of dozens of professors and staff at universities. Clemson University took steps to go after teachers when Republican congressmen threatened them with defunding. At Florida Atlantic University, an art history professor was placed on leave after reposting other people’s critical commentary about Kirk’s politics, including his extremely racist and anti-LGBT positions on race, and gay and transgender rights.

As a leader in PEN America pointed out, “These firings reverberate beyond the campus walls, creating a culture of fear across society at large.”

Prominent People Targeted 

As shown by the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, well-known and respected media and entertainment people were not safe either.

Matthew Dowd, Senior Political Analyst for the MSNBC cable network, was summarily fired for saying that Kirk was a “divisive figure,” who was “constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups… Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and then not expect awful actions to take place.”

Karen Attiah—an editor and the only full time Black opinion columnist at the Washington Post—posted on Bluesky expressing her “sadness and fear for America,” and stating that “Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence.” The Post promptly fired her, claiming that these posts constituted “gross misconduct” and “potentially endanger the physical safety of our staff.” (In other words, if anyone on the staff calls out the actual violence of the fascists, everyone on the staff is in danger of violent retaliation. So… just shut up about it!)

Actor Amanda Seyfried came under fire for saying that Kirk was "hateful" and for sharing a post that read, "You can’t invite violence to the dinner table and be shocked when it starts eating."

Preparing a Major Attack on Liberal and Leftist Organizations

In addition to what we analyze and describe in “Fascism is not a looming threat…,” other fascist politicians have also gone into action. The House Freedom Caucus (a hard-core fascist grouping in Congress) published a letter—signed by 23 Congresspeople—that links into one grand conspiracy George Soros (a wealthy supporter of Democratic and liberal causes), the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), murders allegedly committed by mentally ill homeless people, immigrant rights groups, Antifa, and then throws in all “the NGOs, donors, media, public officials, and all entities driving this coordinated attack” that supposedly led to Kirk’s death and “countless other” acts of violence. Surveying the picture it had painted, the letter summed up: 

We can no longer pretend to be bound together by shared ideals when a well-funded, vitriolic cadre of our fellow Americans and foreign interests are at war with the very values of faith in God, fidelity to our Constitution, and respect for the principles of liberty and Western Civilization that define us as Americans.

Think about the implications of that—these are the kind of words said on the eve of a civil war, or at least a very broad repressive crackdown. 

Also, Trump announced that he intends to sign an executive order that will label Antifa as “a major terrorist” organization. "Antifa" is not an organization, but a term used to describe people who take "anti-fascist" stands, and engage in anti-fascist protest. The fact that Trump is using this kind broad brush could mean he will go after anyone from anarchists, groups that specifically call out fascism or progressive Democrats!  It is also important to note that Trump mislabeled a protest against him by Code Pink as being “Antifa”… and threatened them with RICO prosecution.

What this means under formal U.S. law is extremely unclear: There is no mechanism for labeling a domestic organization—let alone a broad political position with no organizational coherence—as "terrorist."  But Trump is essentially lawless, and in practice we have seen that he believes that once a group is declared “terrorist” he can do anything he wants to real or suspected members or supporters. Consider the fact that four times this month U.S. aircraft have fired on Venezuelan boats in international waters, killing 17 people, with the sole justification (without any evidence) being that they were manned by “narco-terrorists.” So this labeling of his domestic opponents as "terrorist" is a very, very serious step.

This Fascist Regime Is Illegitimate, and It Must Be Driven from Power

First, it is extremely important for decent people to stand up against these attacks. Danaka Katovich, the national coordinator of Code Pink (one of the targeted groups) put this well: “It’s a really critical moment for other organizations to stand in solidarity, loud and clear solidarity, with organizations facing repression. Now’s not the time for splitting hairs over smaller disagreements. If they come after one of us they will come after us all.” 

Second, it is clearer than ever that this regime is hellbent—and very close—to locking down a fascist regime that will be marked by unimaginable horrors, and will allow no dissent, much less resistance, to take hold. This HAS to be defeated; the regime HAS to be driven from power. 

And this underscores the extreme urgency of the Call from RefuseFascism.org, and open to all, "The Time Has Come For... The Fall of the Trump Fascist Regime, Beginning November 5, 2025, Washington, DC":

Humanity’s only hope is for the decent people of this country to rise in our millions. We cannot wait for future and rigged elections. We must drive the Trump Fascist Regime from power.

Beginning November 5, the one-year anniversary of Trump’s election, flood DC in nonviolent protest. Surround the White House. Surround the Capitol. Surround the illegitimate fascist-packed Supreme Court. Come back again and again. Across the country, refuse to comply. Every person of conscience, millions of us together, grind the machinery of the fascist regime to a halt.

Don’t stop until Trump is removed.