{"id":16790,"date":"2025-09-30T13:49:56","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T13:49:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=16790"},"modified":"2025-09-30T13:49:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T13:49:56","slug":"sean-penns-haunting-6-word-response-to-charlie-kirk-killing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=16790","title":{"rendered":"Sean Penn\u2019s haunting 6-word response to Charlie Kirk killing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite disagreeing with \u201calmost everything\u201d conservative activist Charlie Kirk stood for, Sean Penn said \u201cwe need that guy,\u201d warning that the \u201chorror\u201d of political violence is \u201ccoming into fashion.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The nation is still reeling weeks after the assassination of\u00a0Charlie Kirk<\/a>, a prominent\u00a0conservative<\/a>\u00a0commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, who was\u00a0gunned\u00a0<\/a>down mid-speech at Utah Valley University Sept. 10.<\/p>\n

Kirk, 31, known for his hardline rhetoric and polarizing presence in American politics, was shot and killed in front of a live audience during a student event that was also being livestreamed. The brazen act of violence, captured in real time, sent shockwaves across the country and has quickly become one of the most highly publicized acts of political violence in recent memory.<\/p>\n

Suspect may get death penalty<\/h2>\n

Authorities have arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a Utah native, who now faces seven charges, including first-degree murder and unlawful use of a firearm in a public setting. According to\u00a0Associated Press<\/a>\u00a0(AP), prosecutors have stated their intent to seek the death penalty, citing premeditation and political motivation as aggravating factors in what is being described as a calculated, ideologically driven attack.<\/p>\n

Kirk is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 29, where he and his legal team will decide whether to request a preliminary hearing, during which a judge will determine if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial, AP reports.<\/p>\n

Celebrities slammed<\/h2>\n

As investigators continue to examine Robinson\u2019s motives and mental state, public discourse around the assassination has exploded \u2013 particularly in the entertainment world, where celebrities are finding themselves caught in the crossfire of public opinion. Social media has become a battleground, with some stars condemned for their reactions to Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

Ava Raine, the daughter of Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson, faced intense backlash after reposting a cryptic message that many interpreted as a subtle jab at Kirk\u2019s legacy. The post has since been deleted, but not before sparking widespread debate over whether it crossed a line.<\/p>\n

Then came late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who was briefly suspended by ABC following a monologue that referenced the assassination. Though the network has reinstated him, the controversy has not entirely subsided.<\/p>\n

Actor Michael Keaton also raised eyebrows when he remarked on the \u201cirony\u201d of Kirk\u2019s death, presumably alluding to the commentator\u2019s vocal opposition to gun control. His comment ignited fresh criticism, with many accusing him of trivializing the tragedy.<\/p>\n

\u2018We need that guy\u2019<\/h2>\n

Amid the uproar, Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn, 65, offered a surprisingly measured and somber take. In an interview with the\u00a0New York Times<\/a>, the\u00a0One Battle After Another<\/em>\u00a0star condemned Kirk\u2019s killing while emphasizing the need for open political dialogue, even between fierce ideological opponents.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems different than the members of Congress. It seems different than the insurance executive. It seems even different than the attempt on the president. There\u2019s something about this one,\u201d said the\u00a0I am Sam\u00a0<\/em>star, who in 2021\u00a0called<\/a>\u00a0the Trump administration \u201cobscene\u201d for \u201cgunning down communities that were most vulnerable from a turret at the White House\u201d during Covid-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cCharlie Kirk, it seemed to me, though I didn\u2019t follow him a lot \u2013 one of these people who certainly I disagree with on almost everything \u2013 truly believed everything that we disagreed on,\u201d Penn told the New York Times in a Sept 27. interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t get the sense that he was one of these snake oil salesmen. I think we need that guy. We need that debate. We\u2019ve gotta fight it out and find a compromise. These things do come into fashion, and the way we kill the fashion of it is people of conscience on both sides recognizing that if somebody really believes something, that\u2019s your friend,\u201d the award-winning actor said.<\/p>\n

\u2018Coming into fashion\u2019<\/h2>\n

In a separate interview with\u00a0Vanity Fair<\/a>, the\u00a0Mystic River<\/em>\u00a0star went further, saying he was \u201cstill processing,\u201d and concerned about the \u201cimplications\u201d of Kirk\u2019s assassination.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was not surprised at all,\u201d he told Vanity Fair less than 24 hours after Kirk was killed. \u201cLike a lot of people, I\u2019ve been worrying that this kind of horror was moving towards coming into fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cIt\u2019s disturbing enough that I would say I\u2019m still processing it. And what its implications are.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the country grapples with the implications of Kirk\u2019s assassination, Penn\u2019s remarks stand out not for their shock value, but for their rare willingness to acknowledge the dangers of deepening political divides \u2013 from someone who has spent a career both making art and making statements.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Please let us know what you think of Sean Penn\u2019s comments on Charlie Kirk\u2019s killing and then share this story so we can hear from others!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite disagreeing with \u201calmost everything\u201d conservative activist Charlie Kirk stood for, Sean Penn said \u201cwe…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":38,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16790"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16792,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16790\/revisions\/16792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}