Republicans warn colleges against using Kirk’s death to justify anti-speech policies

Charlie Kirk had few equals when it came to defending the First Amendment, and yet Republicans worry that his tragic murder at Utah Valley University is being used to squelch free speech on campus in the name of public safety.

Seventeen Republican state attorneys general led by Iowa’s Brenna Bird have urged universities and colleges in a letter Thursday to honor Mr. Kirk’s legacy by encouraging robust debate on campus instead of giving in to the “assassin’s veto.”

“Unfortunately, we have heard troubling reports that some university officials are using the murder of Charlie Kirk as a justification to shut down speech on campus,” said the letter. “While considering safety concerns, it is critical that universities are not imposing what would effectively be a tax on free speech.”

The Republicans asked college officials to “confirm that facility-use and security-fee policies are viewpoint-neutral,” as well as maintain “transparent standards requiring disclosure of any fee calculations or restrictions.”

“There should be clear protocols for event approval and protecting speakers, ensuring security is the responsibility of the institution rather than a financial barrier on disfavored speech,” said the letter.

The letter did not specify which universities have sought to impose fees on conservative speakers since Mr. Kirk’s assassination.

Conservatives have fought for years against measures such as “security fees” imposed by universities on right-of-center speakers over concerns about left-wing protest crowds.

The courts have a record of siding with conservatives. Last year, a federal judge blocked the University of New Mexico from charging Turning Point USA more than $5,000 in security fees for an October 2023 event featuring women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines.

“We trust that you will continue to take steps to keep your campuses safe,” the letter said. “And we also trust that you won’t use safety as a pretext to silence debate, at a time when it is sorely needed. Not everyone will agree with every speaker that your institutions host. But that is exactly the point.”

Mr. Kirk, 31, was shot and killed Sept. 10 as he spoke to a crowd of 3,000 students at the kickoff event for his annual fall campus tour, titled the 2025 American Comeback Tour. Utah County prosecutors have charged the suspect with a host of offenses, including aggravated murder.

Mr. Kirk, the co-founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, made it his mission to promote free speech on campus, and yet the impulse to zipper strong viewpoints in the wake of his death has been strong, even on the right.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said earlier this week that she would target “hate speech,” prompting an outcry from conservatives who argued that the term was invented by the left to muzzle the right. She later said she was referring to threats of violence, not protected speech.

Nicole Neily, founder and president of Defending Education, and Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, applauded the state attorneys general for their stand on protecting free speech.

Mr. Hild said it was “appalling that certain public institutions are using security costs to impede students from assembling to express their beliefs,” calling it “not just antithetical to everything Charlie Kirk represented but to the very principles of America.”

JUST IN: Amid reports that universities are leveraging Charlie Kirk’s assassination to impose discriminatory barriers on conservative speakers, 17 state AGs are putting public colleges/universities on notice — warning that if they continue down this path, they will be held… pic.twitter.com/svJk9msltd

— Will Hild (@WillHild) September 18, 2025

“I can think of no better way to honor Charlie’s legacy than through ensuring that student voices cannot be silenced by fear or malice,” said Ms. Neily in a statement.

The Republican attorneys general signing the letter represent Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.

Threats of leftist protests, vandalism and even violence have long made college campuses inhospitable environments for right-wing speakers.

In one dramatic example, the University of California Berkeley canceled a 2017 speech by conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos after activists set fires using Molotov cocktails, threw rocks and smashed windows, causing $100,000 in damage.

The following year, the university agreed to a $70,000 settlement with Young America’s Foundation and Berkeley College Republicans after they sued over the cancellation of speeches by Mr. Yiannopoulos, Ann Coulter and David Horowitz.