OUT OF RESPECT

MAGA Podcaster Nixes Event as His Charlie Kirk Interview Goes Viral

Ben Shapiro appeared on Kirk’s podcast on Tuesday, one day before the conservative influencer’s death.

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro called off a speaking event after Charlie Kirk’s assassination in Utah.

The Ben Shapiro Show host, who is one of the most well-known right-wing podcasters other than Kirk, was set to appear at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute on Wednesday evening, shortly after Kirk was fatally gunned down during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem.

“As a mark of respect, we are cancelling our program and book signing with Ben Shapiro this evening. A new date will be announced shortly,” reads a statement on the Reagan Library website.

Notably, the library did not cite security concerns as a reason for the postponement.

Daily Wire editor-in-chief Brent Scher also denied that Shapiro was canceling upcoming events out of concern for his safety, calling the rumors of such plans “fake news bulls---.”

The postponement Wednesday comes as Shapiro has been hit with online threats and baseless claims linking his recent interview with Kirk to the shooting.

Shapiro appeared on Kirk’s podcast on Tuesday, one day before Kirk’s death. A clip from that interview in which Kirk questions whether conservatives should question American support of Israel has gone viral.

In the footage, which is spliced with graphics and music, Kirk says, “We’ve pushed back on the media on Covid, on lockdowns, on Ukraine, on the border.”

Play Video

“Maybe we should ask the question, is the media totally presenting the truth when it comes to Israel?” Kirk says to Shapiro, “So Ben, some people would accuse Israel of trying to ethnically cleanse—" before the video immediately cuts to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tweet memorializing Kirk.

A tweet featuring that clip has been reposted 12,000 times on X. One user baselessly speculated that Kirk’s comments led to his death, writing, “I believe he crossed the line and it may have cost him his life.”

RUMORS RUN

MAGA Turns to Conspiracies After Kirk Assassination

Laura Esposito

Meanwhile, other pundits have condemned the threats against Shapiro online.

Speaking on her radio show Wedneday, former Fox News host Megyn Kelly said, “[Ben Shapiro] has been under threat too, poor Ben… And for what? Because he comments on the news that people find controversial? Because he is a Jew? Because he speaks in favor of Israel?”

Following assassination, Shapiro posted a eulogy saying, “Charlie was a good man, a man who believed in right and wrong, who stood by his Biblical values.” He also said, “We must fight for a better America - an America where good people can speak truth and debate passionately without fear of a bullet.”

The Daily Beast has reached out to Shapiro for comment.

CLOSE UP

FBI Releases Photos of Kirk Shooting ‘Person of Interest’

Josh Fiallo

Kirk, 31, had been talking to a crowd of hundreds of students about transgender issues and mass shootings when he was struck in the neck by by a bullet. The married father of two was rushed in a private vehicle to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The event was the first stop of his “America Comeback Tour,“ which featured Kirk discussing and debating conservative politics on college campuses.

The FBI is engaged in a manhunt for Kirk’s killer, who eluded capture after shooting from what authorities believe was an elevated suface. The bureau has been providing updates of their progress on X, but have angered justice-hungry Kirk suporters by arresting and releasing two wrongly accused persons of interest.

On Thursday afternoon, the FBI released pictures of a person of interest in the case. They have posted a $100,000 reward to anyone who provides information that helps them arrest the killer.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Adam DownerBreaking News Reporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.