TMZ founder Harvey Levin is facing massive backlash after his staff was caught on camera cheering the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative leader gunned down on a college campus this week. The clip sparked outrage online, with YouTube users flooding Levin’s channel with thumbs-down reactions and angry comments.
At first, Levin tried to deflect, claiming the cheers were about a “car chase” unrelated to Kirk. But now, with public pressure mounting, Levin is changing his tune—and issuing a grim warning.
“I am not gonna mince words. I fear a civil war,” Levin said. “Charlie Kirk is different. This is not a politician. This is somebody who was slaughtered for his views… and I am worried, as much as I have been my entire life, about democracy and America.”
TMZ founder Harvey Levin is getting flooded with thumbs down on YouTube after his staff was caught cheering Charlie Kirk’s death.
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) September 14, 2025
After blaming a “car chase” for his staff’s cheers instead of Kirk’s death, he now says he fears a “civil war” is coming.
“I am not gonna mince… pic.twitter.com/GMOAV40BHx
Levin, a longtime observer of national unrest, referenced historic assassinations and upheaval: JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King Jr. But this time, he said, something feels different—because Kirk wasn’t part of the political machine. He was a grassroots threat to it.
Kirk built a movement that challenged leftist orthodoxy on college campuses, and for that, he became a target. His killing has sent shockwaves far beyond the conservative world. And now even figures like Levin—once dismissive of the Right—are beginning to realize just how fragile the culture has become.
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"I am not gonna mince words. I fear a civil war," he said. "I have lived a long time, and I have seen a president assassinated. I have seen multiple attempts at killing presidents. I have seen civil rights leaders slain."
"I’ve seen presidential candidates slain. I have seen war. I have seen riots. But Charlie Kirk is different. This is not a politician. This is somebody who was slaughtered for his views and not pushing a particular, even political party. I think he had an ideology, and he was a young guy on college campuses," he added.
Despite his comments being too late, Levin expressed deep concern that some people now see political violence as a legitimate solution. He said he's more worried about America and the future of democracy than he’s ever been in his lifetime.
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