College students are saying they have become more afraid to voice their political views — especially on controversial topics — in light of the assassination of Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk.
A survey conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) revealed some troubling numbers related to speech on college campuses across the country.
The survey revealed that 45 percent of students are less comfortable expressing their political views in class while 43 percent said the same about political discourse “in common campus spaces.”
But this issue extends outside of the college arena, with 48 percent saying they are less comfortable engaging in political dialogue on social media. “Half of students surveyed say that they are less comfortable attending or hosting controversial public events on their campuses,’ and “roughly one in five students say they are now less comfortable attending class,” according to FIRE’s report.
The @washingtonpost has spent generations marginalizing, dehumanizing and demagoguing conservatives to foreseeably tragic ends. The WaPo editorial board must do better than feigning shock and concern at the violent progressive monster it helped create.https://t.co/VIYUYkkx0p pic.twitter.com/PMishbhdVt
— Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) December 3, 2025
The survey revealed some even more disturbing attitudes on speech. While 53 percent of students say “political violence is a problem among all political groups,” nearly half agree that “words can be violence.”
When asked how acceptable it is to use violence to silence a speech on campus, 71 percent said “never acceptable” while 16 percent said it is “rarely acceptable.” However, 12 percent said using violence is “sometimes” or “always” acceptable.
Of those who believe at least some violence is warrante, 20 percent endorsed “physical assault on the speaker” while 22 percent supported the “use of chemical irritants” like bear spray.” About 26 percent supported “throwing projectiles” to halt a speech.
There have been other surveys in recent years showing a growing acceptance of political violence. A 2024 Citizen Data survey noted that only 44 percent of Gen Z and 67 percent of millennials believed violence against elected officials is “never acceptable.”
Moreover, almost half of Gen Z respondents indicated that it is at least sometimes acceptable to forcibly occupy public buildings while about 20 percent of millennials said it might be acceptable to kill or physically harm elected officials in some circumstances.
These numbers suggest that younger generations are increasingly embracing the notion that political violence is warranted — even against those who are not government officials. Political violence and threats against government officials have risen considerably over recent years. But Charlie Kirk’s assassination is a real-life illustration that more Americans might be willing to resort to violence if they believe it serves their political agenda.
This does not bode well for free speech. If people believe that physically attacking those with whom they disagree, then it could push more people into self-censorship. Or, even worse, it could lead to even more violence as people retaliate in response to other acts of violence.