In an exclusive discussion with News on Friday, bestselling author and national radio host, Michael Savage, cautioned that the assassination of conservative figure Charlie Kirk is not just a single violent act but rather a dire indication of society fraying, asserting that “we’re already in the civil war” he forewarned over a decade ago.
Savage mentioned that the murder of Kirk, a young Christian activist committed to reviving faith and meaning in American life, reveals the nation’s descent into what he described as a “fixation on death” and the erosion of spiritual foundations. “Today, people seem to applaud death, even celebrating the killings of those they disagree with,” he noted. “Something has shattered in the West. It’s not just about politics — it’s about the decline of religion, of values, of a higher mission. Charlie Kirk recognized this and endeavored to combat it.”
Savage cited perpetual foreign conflicts and the unending barrage of violent images on social media as the spark for what he termed as a dulling of human conscience. “The bloodshed in Ukraine and Russia, senseless violence on both sides, has dulled the world’s sensitivity. Human existence seems meaningless. Then, people hop online and view countless killings replayed daily. It’s mentally crippling everyone. Clear thinking appears to be a lost art.”
This cultural disintegration, according to Savage, is further exacerbated by technology and self-absorption. “The advent of smartphones has turned everyone into a celebrity, gauged by the signal bars they possess. Individuals become the star of their own creation, sharing on Instagram, and suddenly believe their views carry the weight of an Einstein. If Einstein were alive today, he’d perhaps explain relativity on YouTube, and some random person might comment dismissively, ‘You’re just a Zionist Jew, you don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Is this what qualifies as dialogue now?”
The outcome, he observed, is a society where “truth has vanished.” Education systems no longer emphasize logic or critical thinking, Savage bemoaned, and “when there’s no standard, everything disintegrates — marriage, family, loyalty lose significance. People are living isolated in their own worlds, completely self-absorbed.”
Reflecting on Kirk’s killing, Savage remarked that the shooter’s background raises alarming questions. “Was he acting on his own? Where did he obtain the gun? Who was he interacting with on Discord?” Savage highlighted reports of the shooter inscribing the radical song “Bella Ciao” on his bullets, tying the incident to long-standing left-wing propaganda. “That song is essentially an anti-fascist workers’ anthem. Bernie Sanders and so-called democratic socialism have indoctrinated a generation with this rhetoric, and now the outcome: a killer who convinced himself his act was for the benefit of humanity.”
Even more disturbing, Savage warned, is the way violent rhetoric online merges with role-playing in video games until players can no longer separate fantasy from reality. “Many of these games are about fighting an oppressive fascist government. So the kid playing becomes the hero taking on fascists — then one day he carries that mindset into real life. And suddenly Charlie Kirk is a ‘fascist’ who must be eliminated.”
That, Savage said, is the madness of our time: a mild-mannered, respectful young conservative like Kirk branded a Nazi by his enemies and gunned down. “It could happen to any one of us,” he cautioned. “Anyone who writes or speaks from a conservative viewpoint is now seen as a target.”
For Savage, Kirk’s murder reflects what he warned of in his 2013 book Stop the Coming Civil War. He quoted Sen. Thomas Corwin’s words to Abraham Lincoln in 1861: “I cannot comprehend the madness of the time. Treason is in the air everywhere, but it goes by the name of patriotism.”
“That’s exactly where we are,” Savage said. “We’re in the civil war. It’s not coming — it’s here. And it’s one-sided. The left is killing the right. The left is silencing the right. People are terrified to even speak their views in public, afraid of being attacked. It’s a one-way civil war.”
Savage stressed that the rhetoric itself is already inciting violence. “If you’re calling your enemy day and night a fascist, fascist, Nazi, Nazi, Nazi — and then someone kills one of those people — how do you stop it?” he asked.
Asked how conservatives should respond without resorting to violence, Savage argued it will take decisive leadership from the top. “Trump has the power to stop it,” he said. “He could cut off funding to the organizations driving this repression of free speech. The FCC could revoke licenses for networks that are actively fomenting hatred and violence. MSNBC is a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC — do you really think Bill Gates is going to step in to stop the hate? Of course not. But Trump could have the FCC suspend their license for disseminating hatred and fomenting revolution, and let them sue the government while they go silent.”
Savage closed by warning that the death of Charlie Kirk is not the end but the beginning of more unrest. “The unanswered questions remain — the rifle, the roommate, the accomplices. This isn’t over. More political violence will follow.”
