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Political violence in the United States has tripled over the past five years compared to the previous 25 years combined, according to new research highlighting escalating threats facing American political figures following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Jared Mondschein, Director of Research at the US Studies Center, told Sky News Wednesday that the 31-year-old Kirk's death represents a significant loss for the conservative movement and underscores America's growing political violence crisis.
"The past five years has seen triple the amount of incidents of political violence compared to the 25 prior years combined," Mondschein said, citing analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
Kirk was shot and killed during a campus engagement at the University of Utah, the latest in countless university appearances that had made him one of America's most influential young conservative voices.
"Charlie Kirk was not just any sort of political actor. He was uniquely talented, and his loss is a major one for the conservative movement," Mondschein said. "It's hard to believe that he was only 31 years old given how much he had accomplished in his all too short time on earth."
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Unprecedented Organizational Growth
Kirk's influence extended far beyond his age, with his organization Turning Points USA experiencing explosive growth that reflected his impact on American conservative politics.
Starting with approximately $78,000 in revenue around 2012, largely through his father's Republican Party connections, Kirk's organization reached $8 million by 2017 and $85 million in revenue last year, according to Mondschein.
"The millions of clicks that he got with his engagements on campus, the same sort of engagements where he was murdered, were viral," Mondschein said. "And they really convinced a lot of skeptical voters who were maybe tuned out of politics altogether that maybe there was a pathway forward, a conservative pathway forward."
The rapid organizational expansion demonstrated Kirk's ability to translate campus engagement into substantial political influence and fundraising capacity within a decade.
Conservative Movement Impact
Kirk's role in mobilizing youth support for Donald Trump and reshaping conservative politics extended beyond traditional Republican approaches, according to Mondschein's assessment.
"Not single-handedly, but really more than anyone else, was able to get a youth support for Donald Trump and a very different conservative movement than we had seen in many years, if not decades, and he was able to sustain that movement," Mondschein said.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro had predicted Kirk's significant political future, initially suggesting he would lead the Republican National Committee but later recognizing his broader potential.
"Ben Shapiro said that when he first met a very young Charlie Kirk, he said that Charlie Kirk was going to be the future of the Republican National Party, or specifically the Republican National Committee. But Ben Shapiro said he was much larger than that," Mondschein explained.
Gun Violence Connection
The murder occurs against a backdrop of unprecedented gun ownership in America, with firearms now outnumbering the population, according to Mondschein.
"You only have to look at the statistics and see how there are now more guns than people in the United States. And that is just a simple fact," he said. "But the level of guns in the United States just continues to increase every year. So you can't deny that reality."
However, Mondschein emphasized that multiple factors contribute to escalating political violence beyond weapon availability.
"But at the same time, you can't deny the reality that political violence has increased. And I think politicians and political actors have agency in sort of lowering the temperature of the political rhetoric right now," he said.
Historical Context of American Violence
The current violence surge builds on America's historically violent political foundations, according to Mondschein's analysis of long-term patterns.
"The United States was basically founded on a very violent political struggle, a deadly one. And first, it was a political struggle against the British. Then in 1860s, it was a political struggle against themselves in the United States in the Civil War," he said.
Post-Civil War tensions during Reconstruction continued patterns of political violence, but recent escalation represents a significant departure from more peaceful decades.
"The United States has often had a lot of political violence. But over the past 25 years, as I said earlier, we've just seen a major increase in the last five in particular," Mondschein said.
Political Rhetoric Concerns
Contemporary political culture incentivizes controversial statements that may contribute to violence escalation, according to Mondschein's assessment of current media dynamics.
"In this political era we live in, a lot of times they want to lead the news with something controversial, something that will get them more attention, more clicks," he said. "And unfortunately, that often is something that is controversial, that is sometimes, in my view, reckless."
The research director expressed uncertainty about prospects for reducing political tensions through leadership intervention.
"It's hard to see sort of end state for how we lower the political temperature. One can only hope that the politicians realize that they can choose themselves to actually lower the political temperature. They do not need to go after every soundbite," Mondschein said.
Campus Engagement Legacy
Kirk's murder occurred during the type of university engagement that had defined his political career and built his national influence among young conservatives.
These campus appearances, often featuring confrontational exchanges with liberal students and faculty, generated viral social media content that expanded Kirk's reach beyond traditional conservative audiences.
"He was a charismatic and influential man who was leading them in that pathway," Mondschein said of Kirk's ability to attract previously disengaged voters to conservative politics.
The university setting of his death adds particular significance given ongoing tensions surrounding conservative speakers on American college campuses.
Political Violence Trajectory
Mondschein's research suggests current violence trends may continue without significant intervention from political leadership across party lines.
The tripling of political violence incidents over five years indicates systematic rather than isolated problems affecting American democratic institutions.
"So I think this is something that it's hard to see sort of end state for how we lower the political temperature," Mondschein concluded.
Broader Implications
Kirk's death removes a significant conservative voice during a period of Republican Party evolution following Trump's return to the presidency.
His organization's growth from modest beginnings to major political influence demonstrates the potential for young political entrepreneurs to reshape American politics through sustained campus engagement and social media utilization.
The murder's timing, occurring during routine political activity on a university campus, highlights vulnerabilities facing political figures across the ideological spectrum.
Future Concerns
The combination of increased gun ownership, escalating political rhetoric, and incentive structures favoring controversial statements creates conditions for continued violence, according to Mondschein's analysis.
Without coordinated efforts to reduce political tensions, current trends suggest ongoing threats to political figures and democratic discourse.
The loss of Kirk's voice in conservative politics may create gaps in youth outreach and campus engagement that shaped his organization's success.
His murder represents both immediate tragedy and broader warning about American democracy's capacity to maintain peaceful political competition amid rising violence and polarization.
The statistics Mondschein cited indicate systematic challenges requiring comprehensive responses beyond individual security measures for political figures.
Jared Mondschein, Director of Research at the US Studies Centre, provided the assessment during ongoing coverage of American political violence trends.
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