J.K. Rowling Quotes Hitler In Viral Post Commenting On Charlie Kirk Assassination

J.K. Rowling is once again sparking headlines, this time after the shocking assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. The "Harry Potter" author went viral on X (formerly Twitter) with a thread about free speech, political extremism, and violence, drawing millions of views as the world reacted to Kirk's killing. Known for her outspoken opinions and controversial takes, J.K. Rowling's latest comments have reignited fierce debates about where free expression ends and terrorism begins.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk, who built his career on outspoken political commentary and combative debates, has left both his supporters and critics stunned. Reports suggest he was targeted for his beliefs, fueling conversations about the escalating dangers of political discourse. Rowling, who has become a lightning rod in cultural debates far beyond literature, weighed in with a viral post that broke down what she views as the slippery slope from censorship to authoritarianism to outright terrorism.

In her initial post, which has been viewed more than 9.5 million times, Rowling wrote that those who believe free speech applies only to themselves and not their political opponents are "illiberal." She continued by saying that refusing to consider contrary evidence makes someone a "fundamentalist," supporting state punishment for opposing views makes one "totalitarian," and endorsing violence or death for political opponents makes a person "a terrorist."

One of the top responses in Rowling's thread came in her interaction with a follower who admitted he was struggling to process Kirk's assassination. Sean Trapani wrote that despite disagreeing with many of Kirk's views, the commentator's death had shaken him deeply. He reflected on surviving terrorist attacks, hurricanes, and personal losses, yet confessed that this tragedy weighed heavily on him in a way he couldn't fully explain. "It's dark," he admitted, before thanking Rowling for offering comfort.

Rowling responded with compassion, telling him, "You're an empathetic human being who doesn't need to agree with everything another living, breathing human being believed to feel a profound loss when his life is ripped from him by an act of violence."

The conversation surrounding Rowling's viral thread took an even sharper turn when a follower asked if her stance on free speech and extremism extended to figures like Adolf Hitler. Rowling responded by arguing that many people who hurl the label "fascist" at their opponents often end up endorsing fascist tactics themselves. To drive the point home, she quoted directly from Hitler's "Mein Kampf," writing, "The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence."

Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed on Wednesday after being shot during an appearance at Utah Valley University. Kirk had been speaking to a large crowd at one of his signature "Prove Me Wrong" events, a live debate format where he often invited students to directly challenge his political and cultural positions.

On Thursday, authorities released a new video showing the suspected gunman, later identified as Tyler Robinson, climbing down from a rooftop in the moments after the shooting. Earlier in the day, police had circulated images of a "person of interest" and called on the public to help with identification.

By Thursday evening, Kirk's body was transported back to his home state of Arizona aboard a plane belonging to Vice President JD Vance.

As Rowling's viral thread continued to dominate headlines, President Donald Trump added breaking news to the story, confirming that authorities have apprehended a suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said, "With a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody."

According to Trump, the arrest was made possible after "somebody very close" to the suspect turned him in. He further revealed that the suspect's father played a critical role in bringing him to justice, convincing his son to surrender to the police, which was confirmed in a recent press conference. Trump described the suspect as "28 or 29," while earlier reports from authorities had suggested the shooter appeared to be of college age.