Arnold Schwarzenegger Warns: America on the Edge After Kirk Assassination
Arnold Schwarzenegger has warned that the United States is moving dangerously close to losing its democracy. Speaking at the University of Southern California on Monday, the actor and former governor of California reflected on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and called for unity among young people.
The event was part of USC’s International Day of Democracy program. During a conversation with interim president Beong-Soo Kim, Schwarzenegger was asked about his reaction to Kirk’s death. Kirk, 30, was shot and killed while leading a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Schwarzenegger said he was shaken when he heard the news. “I was very, very upset that someone’s life was taken because they have a different opinion. It’s just unbelievable,” he told the audience. He described Kirk as a strong voice for Republican causes and also remembered him as a husband and father.
“I was thinking about his children. They will only be reading about him now, instead of him reading to them bedtime stories.”
Authorities say 22-year-old Tyler Robinson carried out the attack. He has been charged with aggravated murder and several other crimes, including obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Prosecutors confirmed they plan to seek the death penalty.
USC President Kim asked me for my thoughts about Charlie Kirk at USC’s Democracy Day celebration.
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) September 16, 2025
There’s something more important than my message in this video. It’s what you don’t hear. No heckling. No disrespect. No shouting.
I know that social media shows us the worst of… pic.twitter.com/pLgEFSLubA
At USC, Schwarzenegger used the tragedy to highlight what he sees as a bigger threat: division across the country. “We have to acknowledge that the cause of all of this is the social media companies that are dividing us, the mainstream media companies that are dividing us,” he said.
“The political parties — the Democrats that are dividing us, the Republicans that are dividing us. We’re getting hit from so many different angles, and we have to be very careful that we don’t get closer to that cliff. Because when you fall down that cliff — down there, there is no democracy.”
He told students that the power to change things is in their hands. “Each and every one of you in here can make a difference,” he said. He urged Republican and Democratic student groups to work together instead of treating each other as enemies. “Imagine that you get together, and you start having communications together and solving problems together. You will have the media turn out in no time and cover that story. And you will be an example for the rest of the nation and for all universities.”
Later on X, Schwarzenegger praised the USC crowd for listening respectfully without interruptions. “There’s something more important than my message in this video. It’s what you don’t hear. No heckling. No disrespect. No shouting,” he wrote.
He also warned people not to be fooled by the negativity that dominates social media. “Don’t let these companies and the rage influencers that profit from them convince you the worst of us are the most of us.”
Schwarzenegger’s message was clear: America is at risk of losing democracy if people continue to allow anger and division to grow. But he believes people, especially the next generation, can change the course.
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