Journalist Mark Halperin said Monday that the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk could have major political consequences for Democrats in the coming election cycle.

Halperin joined SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Show to discuss the fallout from Kirk’s September 10 murder at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, and the responses from Democratic officials and commentators.

Some Democrats celebrated Kirk’s death while others attempted to tie the assassination to President Donald Trump’s rhetoric.

NEW: @megynkelly to @MarkHalperin:

“I just feel like [the left] can go f*ck themselves! I couldn’t give two sh*ts about what they think of Charlie Kirk. They didn’t know him! They don’t understand any of us! And it’s because of willful blindness! They choose to demonize rather… pic.twitter.com/H2bU6cGiTP

— Jason Cohen (@JasonJournoDC) September 11, 2025

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Halperin argued that the reaction revealed a deeper disconnect.

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“They don’t know what a threat he is. They know so little about him. I think this could change the entire midterms,” he said.

“Yeah, I think this could be galvanizing the way the Dobbs [v. Jackson] decision was. But they have no idea what he did. They don’t have any idea what his following is like.”

Kelly pressed Halperin on whether Democrats targeted Kirk because of his rising influence or because of his support for Trump.

“Is it that, Mark? Is it that? A legit question. I don’t know the answer. Or is it that he’s suddenly an enormous threat?” she asked.

Halperin said Democrats underestimated Kirk’s influence as a conservative figure.

He pointed to the outpouring of support for TPUSA in the days following Kirk’s assassination.

“This weekend, you saw the donations. You saw the chapter requests to be formed. You saw the vigils around the country and around the world. They were barely covered,” Halperin said.

“Again, you just think if this were a Democratic person of Charlie’s place in the world, close to Barack Obama, it would have led, these vigils would have led every newscast. It would have been on the front page of The New York Times.”

He added that many Democrats admitted they knew little about Kirk until his death.

“I can’t tell you the number of well-informed Democrats who said to me, ‘Oh, I’ve learned now about who this guy was. I really didn’t know much about him except he was some sort of young guy who was for Trump,’” Halperin said.

“They don’t understand that he was literally an historic figure. His memory, if Turning Point can execute, if the vice president and his team can execute, I think it could change the whole election. But they don’t know. It’s just like they’ve underestimated MAGA for 10 years.”

Kirk was killed on September 10 while speaking at an event in Utah.

According to police, the shooter, Tyler Robinson, opened fire roughly 20 minutes into the program, fatally striking Kirk. Robinson was taken into custody later that evening.

The incident has sparked controversy over reactions from members of the media and academia.

Several individuals have lost their positions over remarks made about Kirk following his death.

On Monday, Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah was dismissed after falsely attributing comments to Kirk, alleging he had made offensive statements about black women and accusing America of enabling white men to commit violence.

It’s a sad day for journalism when you can’t even libel a dead white guy w/ fake quotes

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 15, 2025

Last week, MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd was also removed after suggesting Kirk’s alleged “hate speech” made him an inevitable target, calling him “one of the most divisive” conservative figures.

Meanwhile, TPUSA has seen a sharp increase in engagement since Kirk’s assassination.

Andrew Kolvet, the organization’s executive producer, reported that TPUSA received more than 32,000 inquiries in 48 hours from students interested in forming new chapters.

I wanted to share a paise report from TPUSA. The organization has received over 32,000 inquiries in the last 48-hours to start new campus chapters. To put that in perspective, TPUSA currently has 900 official college chapters and around 1,200 high school chapters, with a…

— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKsway) September 14, 2025

For comparison, TPUSA currently has approximately 900 official college chapters and around 1,200 high school chapters, with an overall presence on more than 3,500 campuses nationwide.

Halperin said the surge make clear Kirk’s influence as a national figure.

“They don’t have any idea what his following is like,” he said.

“But if Turning Point executes, his legacy could have lasting political consequences.”

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