A new YouGov poll revealed that a significant portion of Americans believe the alleged assassin of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was a Republican, despite official confirmation that the suspect had embraced leftist ideology.
The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested after the assassination attempt.
Early claims on social media and from several public figures alleged Robinson was a conservative Christian. However, Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) and federal authorities confirmed that Robinson had become “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.”
The poll found that 24 percent of adults incorrectly believed Robinson was not liberal.
Another 21 percent said he was a Democrat, 15 percent answered neither, and 40 percent said they were unsure.
Robinson’s family told investigators he had grown increasingly political and hateful in recent years.
He was living with his trans-identifying boyfriend, Lance Twiggs.
A relative of Twiggs told Fox News that Twiggs “hates conservatives and Christians.”
The relative also said Robinson had grown more radical over time, stating, “He was not raised that way, but he, over the years, has become really detached [and] been radicalized.”
The YouGov survey also highlighted sharp partisan divides over attitudes toward political violence and reactions to the death of public figures.
A growing number of adults identifying as “very liberal” reported it is “always or usually acceptable” to celebrate the death of someone they dislike politically.
By contrast, 90 percent of conservatives and 91 percent of very conservatives said it is “always or usually unacceptable” to celebrate such deaths.
Among liberals more broadly, 10 percent said it is acceptable to celebrate the death of a political opponent, while 73 percent said it is never acceptable.
The poll further found that one-quarter of “very liberal” respondents said political violence “can sometimes be justified.”
Fewer than 5 percent of “very conservative” respondents agreed with that statement.
Most of the very liberal respondents who justified political violence were between the ages of 18 and 29, according to the survey.
The aftermath of Kirk’s assassination has also sparked professional consequences for some individuals who openly celebrated his death or spread false claims about him.
The Daily Caller highlighted that Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) fired assistant dean Laura Sosh-Lightsy after she wrote on Facebook that she had “zero sympathy” for Kirk.
MSNBC ended its relationship with political analyst Matthew Dowd after he alleged that Kirk had brought the assassination attempt on himself.
The Washington Post terminated columnist Karen Attiah after she falsely stated that Kirk made an offensive comment about black women.
The Nation published a piece titled, “Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning,” which claimed Kirk had said black women “do not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously.”
Video evidence from Kirk’s podcast showed he never made that statement. Instead, Kirk criticized affirmative action and Associate Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.The Caller further noted that The Nation is funded by billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundation, according to financial disclosures.
