On September 10, 2025, prominent right-wing activist and close Trump ally Charlie Kirk was assassinated by a sniper while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, dying at age 31 after being shot in the neck from 142 yards away. The shooter, Tyler James Robinson, a 22-year-old, surrendered the next day and was charged with ten counts including aggravated murder, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty for the politically motivated attack. The assassination was widely condemned as a stark example of rising political violence in the US, but reactions were sharply partisan, with Trump and other conservatives blaming Democrats and left-wing ideology before a motive was established. The Trump administration used the event to justify a crackdown on "political extremism," which critics said was a pretext to silence opposition, leading to mass firings of those who celebrated or criticized the event. Kirk, described as a "kingmaker" and "youth whisperer" in the MAGA movement, was killed amid a series of violent political incidents in 2024–2025, and his memorial service was held at State Farm Stadium on September 21.