Half the Answer #34: Ezra Klein, Charlie Kirk, Free Speech, and Whitewashing in the Media

Caitlin M. Green, Trent R. Nelson, Marisa Kabas Sep 19, 2025

Trent and Caitlin check in with independent journalist Marisa Kabas about media and public figures’ reactions to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, their impulse to valorize and whitewash his legacy, and the mass harassment and firing campaigns against anyone who is insufficient in their praise of him.

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Resources:

https://www.thehandbasket.co

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/opinion/charlie-kirk-assassination-fear-politics.html

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/charlie-kirk-ezra-klein-tanehisi-coates?_sp=b72cfa75-76e2-4289-9bf0-14eb90c6993b.1758044662907

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/opinion/charlie-kirk-assassination.html

Published in: Half the Answer, Podcast

Authors

Caitlin Green is a linguist specializing in Discourse Studies and Pragmatics. She lives in California with her husband, two daughters, and a very small black cat.

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Trent R. Nelson is a poet, historian, and philosopher, as well as a political and socioeconomic analyst. He is the managing editor for MWF Springfield and a contributing editor with Liberal Currents.

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Marisa Kabas is a Brooklyn-based independent writer and reporter. She is the founder of The Handbasket.

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