Historian Victor Davis Hanson says the assassination of Charlie Kirk is more than a national tragedy—it is a historic turning point for the future of Western civilization. In a video commentary for The Daily Signal, Hanson argued that Kirk’s murder has become the “ignition” for a broad popular uprising against radical leftist agendas in the U.S. and across Europe. According to Hanson, elites pushed too far, and ordinary citizens are beginning to push back.
Hanson described the political climate as “fuel that had built up” before Kirk’s death, with growing discontent over open borders, cultural extremism, and globalist policies. The killing, he said, was the spark that lit the fire. Unlike top-down movements led by institutions or political parties, Hanson emphasized that this is a grassroots backlash driven by everyday people demanding accountability, security, and stability.
He pointed to Europe as evidence of a wider trend. In Ireland, mass protests erupted over immigration. Britain is facing political instability. France’s government fell, and the Netherlands has been rocked by unrest. Hanson argued these events reveal a public no longer willing to accept unchecked immigration, economic strain, and cultural policies that undermine national identity.
Hanson contrasted Western Europe with Eastern European nations, which he said are more secure in their traditions, borders, and national defense. These countries, he argued, have resisted extreme energy restrictions, upheld fossil fuel production, and strengthened their militaries based on lessons from their own histories. He suggested that these policies provide a model for what Western nations must rediscover.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk, Hanson warned, crystallizes the dangers of political extremism and violence but also highlights a breaking point for citizens weary of cultural decline. He believes the West is entering a moment of reckoning that could determine whether nations reclaim order and tradition or collapse under ideological radicalism.
