Is JD Vance right about left-wing violence?

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BBC

Business, Mathematics, Science, News Commentary, News

4.6 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 20 September 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

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Summary

On September the 10th 2025, right-wing political activist and media personality Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at an event in Utah. In the aftermath, his friend JD Vance, the US Vice President, hosted a special memorial edition of ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’, live from the White House, during which he called for unity, but said that could only be found by “climbing the mountain of truth”.

“While our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left,” he said. We investigate the statistical evidence around political violence – both in people’s attitudes and the crimes themselves.

Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Richard Vadon

Transcript

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0:39.4	With a program that looks at the numbers in the headlines, and I'm Tim Harford.
0:44.8	On September 10th, 2025, the political activist and media personality Charlie Kirk
0:50.8	was at Utah Valley University speaking at an event for Turning Point USA.
0:57.3	Turning Point is a non-profit organisation founded by Kirk that aimed to get his brand of
1:02.2	conservative right-wing politics into high schools, colleges and universities across the US.
1:08.1	20 minutes after the event began, Kirk was shot and killed in front of
1:12.6	3,000 people. The murder and the hunt for the killer made headlines around the globe.
1:19.6	A suspect, Tyler Robinson, was arrested two days later after being persuaded by his father
1:26.6	to hand himself in.
1:28.3	On September the 15th, Vice President J.D. Vance, a friend of Charlie Kirk,
1:33.3	hosted a special edition of The Charlie Kirk Show, live from the White House,
1:39.3	during which he called for unity.
	...

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