“Real Time” host Bill Maher and Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro disagreed on Friday about where the assassin of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk appears to fall politically.
“The reality is… you can break down the death threats and where they are coming from,” according to Shapiro.
After a manhunt for Kirk’s assassin, authorities arrested Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah, in connection with the crime. The etchings on the suspect’s casings and unfired rounds included “Hey fascist!” Catch!” and “Bella Ciao,” a nod to an Italian anti-fascist anthem sung during World War II.
“If we are not politically correct, then we understand that if there’s a shooting at a synagogue, it is very likely to be either a White supremacist or a radical Muslim,” Shapiro told the audience. “If it is a shooting of a Republican politician, it is very likely to be a trans, antifa, Marxist shooter.”
“That is simply not true,” Maher countered. “We don’t know what this kid is.”
The late-night host argued with Shapiro over his claim, saying, “We don’t know s–t.”
“It’s two days out, we don’t know s–t, Ben,” Maher insisted. “The internet is undefeated in getting it wrong to begin with.”
Shapiro went on to say that “actual reporting” from mainstream outlets supported his argument, including The Guardian, which he pointed out is not “right-wing.”
“How are you so sure he’s of the left?” Maher asked.
The conservative commentator identified a “very far, radical left, trans antifa Marxist” group on the left and distinguished it from two “semi-on-the-right” groups: white supremacists and radical Muslims.
While implying a power imbalance between the two political parties’ groups, Shapiro dissected what all of the “movements” he described shared in order to justify violence.
“What these groups have in common is… a philosophical structure that states, “There is a system that is targeting me.” That system is one of power, and it is deadly to me. As a result, I am excused from using violence against that system.
Shapiro previously stated that he has known Kirk for 13 years and has had 24-hour security for nearly as long.
“I’ve had 24/7 security for a decade,” Shapiro admitted. “I’ve spoken on a number of college campuses. I never imagined we’d get to this point.
On Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox told “Special Report” that law enforcement is “very confident” Robinson acted alone.
Robinson’s family members told investigators that he had “become more political in recent years,” with one citing a recent dinner conversation in which Robinson mentioned Kirk’s upcoming appearance at Utah Valley University.
The family member told authorities that they discussed why they disliked Kirk and his points of view.
Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was assassinated by a single bullet Wednesday while speaking at a UVU campus event.
At the age of 18, he co-founded Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit organization that now has over 250,000 students.
