'Rise above this madness': WSJ urges Trump to show 'leadership'

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Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk with Donald Trump speaking with attendees at a MAGA rally in Phoenix, Arizona on June 6, 2024 (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)

In an editorial published Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal called on President Donald Trump to display leadership and restore civility to American discourse in the wake of the killing of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, 31, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon, part of his “American Comeback” tour. The shooter struck from a rooftop roughly 200 yards away, and Kirk later succumbed to his wounds.

The editorial noted that this incident took place against a backdrop of mounting bloodshed in the nation’s political life — from prior assassination attempts on Trump in 2024, to the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers in June, to the firebombing of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) residence earlier this year.

Yet, more than a tragic statistic, the death of Kirk — a figure known for inviting debate in the most polarized settings — strikes at the heart of democratic ideals, the article noted.

The WSJ editorial board urged Trump, which it noted is both a survivor of violence and a longtime political ally of Kirk, to use his platform to call a halt to this descent.

"Political figures from both parties denounced the attack on Kirk Wednesday, as they should. But for Mr. Trump, while this is a moment of personal sadness, it is also an opportunity for leadership," the editorial said.

They wrote that Kirk’s commitment, to rigorous, face-to-face debate amid an era of “cancel culture” and campus uproar, embodied a dwindling tradition.

The newspaper said Trump "can help the country rise above this madness."

"He can say that this is the moment when the descent into political violence must stop, not least in honor of Charlie Kirk’s willingness to win by debate, not a resort to thuggery or violence," the article said.

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