WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Alex Rosado: The Shot That Exposed America’s Broken Conversation

Episode Date: September 17, 2025

The shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University is not just a tragedy, it’s a warning flare for America’s democracy. As political violence escalates and trust erodes, the question becomes urgent: can civil discourse still survive? Alex Rosado, a Young Voices contributor, brings a timely perspective in his latest Newsweek article on how we’ve arrived at this dangerous moment and why the stakes for dialogue have never been higher. He joins WRFH to discuss.

This is Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I'm Nicole Seguiartow, and with me today is Alex Rosado, a political, cultural, and consumer freedom writer for young voices. How are you doing today, Alex? I'm doing all right. Thank you for having me on. Of course. In light of the recent death of Charlie Kirk, what was your main goal with this article? First off, let me just say, let our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, protect and care for the soul of Charlie Kirk. And seeing, a lot of these events that have transpired since Wednesday, September 10th. It's truly heartbreaking for many people in our generation specifically who Charlie had a special bond with with TPP USA, a lot of his programming, a lot of event management, and just seeing that the overall environment

and culture towards conservatives, still even in the wake of Donald Trump's election and now tenure in office the second time around, culture is very anti-conservative. A lot of institutions are paired against modern conservatism, especially among the youth. So all of that considered, especially with a lot of, I would say, political assassination attempts in recent memory as well, think about Donald Trump's almost assassins twice last year, getting away with that deed, about how Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court Justice, was almost murdered in his house. There's a lot of angst, there's a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of confusion that's going on in this young generation in our modern environment.

And it was truly something that I felt that it was potent to write about, to not only bring light about the issue, but to see how we can move forward from tragedy. Because America is still a nation that is in its assent. And we should rally around that and that vision as well. Absolutely. I think, as you mentioned, Gen Z has very much been impacted by this. So many young students in college campuses that, you know, were a part of TPP, U.S. in high school and then in college, they lost their leader. And so really, going forward,

how do you think that our generation is going to react to this and continue pursuing conservative values? Well, I think in the aftermath of this tragedy, you're seeing some of those roots already starting to plant. Within the wake of this last week, you're seeing now that 54,000 TPPSA entities across high schools, across colleges in the nation, they now want to get active. They want to get involved in promoting these values. And it isn't necessarily just to have more conservative bastions within academic institutions. It's also just the promotion of a lifestyle of these values, these social mores that are seemingly lost among people in our generation. Because you're seeing a lot of social isolation among Gen Z.

About 80% of Gen Z says that they've been lonely, at least one. in this past year and 50% say that they feel it pretty regularly, always or often. You're also seeing that with civility, about 85% of Gen Zers say that civility is on the decline. Part of it is because they're facing discrimination against the college campuses, ideologically, online, and other places as well. You're also seeing that a lot of social media has partisan divides, and it's making schisms amongst the public, particularly with Discord. and you're seeing that this is a platform that it's being used in mass shootings, such as the

Buffalo Supermarket in 2022, the Perry Iowa School shooting in 2024, and now you're seeing it here with the Charlie Kirk assassination. So there's a lot of malice, I would say, that resides within Gen Z, but we need to have that energy focused on something better. And those are the values that Charlie Kirk tried to promote up to his death. And it's these three. It's making sure that we have individual agency that we don't have to be cast a side in a culture that might not respect us or doesn't incorporate us into that conversation.

We have the power to change it ourselves, but only if we're willing to use that power for good. We have to have a religious refounding in this country because America, as we know it, doesn't really have that much pull in terms of religiosity and Christianity. We need more of that. We need a moral order. We need to have somebody and something that we can look up to to make ourselves better here on Earth. And also, we just need to understand that sometimes government.

intervention isn't the solution. Freedom comes from a bottom-up approach, whether it be markets, whether it be speech, whether it be for general culture in service and words. I think it's what we're going to have to promote, and that's what Genesee needs to champion in the future. So these permanent values that you are mentioning, religion, marriage, and family, they can be viewed as a national renewal, which is what you say in your article. Do you think that this is more powerful and that if this continues to grow, it can combat this woke mob that also is growing and is also bringing despair onto our country, like you mentioned, through social media, through violent acts such as assassinations. I think it speaks to the larger environment,

whether it be media, whether it be academia, is that the values of wanting social stability, wanting social mobility, wanting to raise a family, wanting to get married, wanting to have good economic equality of opportunity, not of outcome. They've all been pushed into the quote-unquote conservative camp of values. Well, truly these are American values that most people, most rational, civil-minded people would take a look and say yes. I think the future of our country depends on what we do today. I think the future of this country depends on proactive thinking. I think the future of this country doesn't succeed when we're divided against one another in terms of whether or not it's acceptable to champion murder. I mean, you take a look exactly what happened

even back in 2024 with Luigi Manjone and United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson. He was murdered on the street in cold blood. There was a poll that was published by Emerson in the days after that assassination and 41% of Gen Z respondents that were aged 18 to 29 said that that was okay. You're seeing this also reflected in other statistics. There was a U-Gov poll that came out just a couple days ago that said that 22% of Gen Z and 18% of liberals think that violence is justified to reach political goals. You're seeing this too. There were two political science researchers back in 2021, and they asked a whole whole

whole slate of politically registered individuals, do you think that killing the opposition politically, the political opposition, is necessary to advance your polls? 11 to 12 percent said yes. So this is what happens when you lose the empathy. What happens when you lose the commonality? What happens when you lose the shared civilizational values that are meant to provide a foundation? It leaves nothing in its place.

It just leaves barbarism. It leaves a whole. it leaves something that we're yearning for purpose and belonging and people are taking it to the extremes. So you shouldn't have to go to that. You have to push not only just pro-family messaging, but pro-civilizational values. Because really, what good does murder do in a society that is supposed to have common goals, morals, and objectives? Going specifically back to the murder of Brian Thompson, as you mentioned, how concerned should we be at the current state of our country if 41% of young people believe that the murder was justifiable. I mean, as well as the other statistics that you brought up, it just seems rather alarming that this many people are justifying violence, especially in our country.

Right. And this is also part of a larger conversation of how do you talk to people that won't listen? It also speaks to another one of is America in the market for a national conversation? Well, if you take a look of exactly what just happened with Charlie Kirk, he was murder. by a 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, Utah. He was someone who, according to the Utah governor, was indoctrinated with leftist ideology. He was someone who was described by family friends as somebody who was leftist in a family of gun-loving Republicans. He was somebody that had so much distaste for the current system in our culture that he decided

to take arms quite literally himself and try and forge what he thought was a solution. to the problems, but really that just made America so much more divided in the process. And I think this is something that speaks to Generation Z as a whole, because there was another poll that was taken saying that 48% of people that are 18 to 29 years old think that Kirk's assassination was just another incident in a string of all of these murders that are going on in terms of all these mass shootings as well. It's been normalized, but it should have never have been normalized if the proper mediations were taken in the first place. And that doesn't mean that, as you're seeing now with Pam Bondi, government cracked down on free speech.

That's not the solution. Government intervention isn't needed in this case. It's going to be up to individuals who are looking out for the common good in the public interest who are seeking justice within their immediate environments. For example, you're seeing now that there's a lot of vigils going on with the United States, absolutely beautiful vigils. But they're being trampled. They're being trespassed. They're being destroyed. And the attention is being taken off because rogue individuals think that they're doing some

sort of civic justice by speaking out against, I guess, these visuals and these warnings. You're seeing it in places like the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Actually had somebody send me up close photos of a Kirk Memorial being demolished and painted over. And truly, it's heartbreaking to see that people in a generation have lost that common goal of if there is a national tragedy. You don't have to agree with everything on it, but at least have enough respect and decency to honor it alongside them. So I think it's going to be one of those very much foundational building block moments where you have to start with that and look upwards because you're going to have to persuade them somehow. And if you can't persuade them with logic, you have to persuade them with emotion. and truly the outpour of support, outpour of grace, that you're seeing nationwide for Charlie Kirk.

It's something to behold and speaks more to the national moment as well. This is Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I'm Nicole Seguiratow talking to Alex Rosado. Was Charlie's death considering he was not a politician and that, for the most part, he was an average American using his rights protected in the Constitution to speak out and to have a conversation with other Americans, do you think taking all that into consideration that the rest of the country is having a wake-up call moment

where they're realizing that people are being silenced who aren't even in political power? I would hope that this understanding is coming across to the rational, simple-minded Americans that exist and make up the masses of our country. The last non-politician who was assassinated giving a political speech was Martin Luther King Jr. back in 1968. There's always these comparisons, especially today, that are being drawn at 2025, 2024. It's just been a continuous 1968 moment of

political, social, cultural instability, economic outlook isn't looking good. We're getting entangled in other types of warfare overseas. And those comparisons have some merit to them. But I truly think that, if we're going to pick a year that we need to exemplify, we need to choose 776. And this is why. It's because free speech was part of the compromise that gave us the Constitution to which we are talking today, the day of the signing of the Constitution, 250 years later. That only could have happened through debate, vigorous, energetic and fertitious debate, Publius and Brutus with the Federalist Papers, anti-Federalist papers as well, having the best ideas with merit, with traction come to light so that way you can force the best solutions from them as well.

You take a look at some other polls, 60% of Gen Z respondents, they say that they want freedom of speech. They want to express their values without harassment. They want autonomy. They want to actually have the ability to not only have conviction within their beliefs again, but the ability to contribute to the larger zeitgeist. that is suffering from the stifling of different perspectives. You're also seeing too now that, again, the national renewal happens to be religious.

Gen Z is attending church out of the highest rate of all generations. They want freedom from vice and they want to believe in it something. Because when you have a system today that reaches tolerance, tolerance, tolerance, you lose your defense and conviction and when you actually stand for. So I think this is this is going to be something that is contributing well to the larger environment and something that could potentially mitigate political violence within the future. I think you mentioning civil discourse and the importance of debate is especially prevalent considering that that's what Charlie did. He went around to college campuses and he would debate students because originally the purpose of, you know, universities and colleges was to have a debate with your colleagues. So moving forward, do you think that more organizations on both sides of the political spectrum will make an effort to continue going to college campuses and engaging in these conversations?

Or do you think there's now more fear associated with that because of this assassination? This is something that you're going to see a lot of activists on both sides do. And just to even take a step back and look at TPP USA's mission, it wasn't just about mobilizing and energizing and making the next. generation believe in something. This was an organization that built infrastructure. Voter-wise, in terms of getting students interested and even reaching out to older folk as well. You saw this back in 2022 during the most recent midterm cycle, is that they raised about $140 million worth within the last five years, and they spent some of it on their midterms. They spent less than a million dollars and actually six out of the seven candidates that they backed won their races.

Then you saw tens of millions of dollars get spent on aggressive get out the vote campaigns in states like Arizona and Wisconsin and Michigan that all ended up voting for Donald Trump because they understand that yes, assassination culture isn't what's going to bring a new America and a bold America. Having these fringe minorities of the population who think the political violence is acceptable, they don't speak for the rest of us. They're not going to let them poison the well. Is that actual agency, is that the ability to debate that civic conversation, participation, and courageous dialogue, those are the values that are ultimately going to persuade people, the ones that might be on the fence or are choosing to take political sides. These are the things

that are going to get people active. These are the things that are going to make people have faith. But most importantly, these are the things that people know that they can win on. in preach. I think that's why you're going to see a lot more folk, whether it be young, old, no matter your background, race, or creed, they're going to get involved. They're going to seek out these values. And they're going to need officials that they can look up to in the public eye that are going to champion this. So I think especially you're going to see on college campuses, even in public town squares and basically everywhere else of all walks of life. You're going to get a lot more political activism. It's going to be channeled towards something great, bad grievance.

This additional participation in free speech and pushing back against the narrative seems like a great way for Americans to continue ensuring that our First Amendment right is not infringed upon. Do you have any other specific advice for Americans who want to continue protecting the Constitution? I would truly just say be involved. if you're a young student who's watching this, or listening to it, rather, get involved in TPP USA. Get involved in college Republicans, if you have it. Get involved in your young Americans for Freedom Chapter. Because these are going to be the ones that not only are on the front lines, but are actually more attuned to local needs and other types of preferences than a lot of these national institutions that claim to know what you want and how to deal with your. or I would say, situation.

So by getting involved at the local level, you're going to understand politics in a brand new light. You're going to see how people treat you differently. You're going to see who respects you. You're going to see and develop a passion and penchant for a lot of these values that these organizations preach. And I think especially at the local level, too, it's going to have the most immediate effect on those around you,

how while you're able to have the capacity to build, the capacity to debate, the capacity to reach across the aisle and say, even though I disagree with your values and ideals, I will still defend you for it. I'll defend your right to say it, and I'll defend your right to believe it. Because I think that's the America that, especially in the wake of this national tragedy that Charlie Kirk would want us to have, is that you don't have to agree on everything. healthy discourse and emphasis on healthy is what makes democracies not only survive but thrive 250 years and beyond. And I think if there is any testament to that experiment that has done the best job of cultivating

prosperity and flourishing for all people, that is the United States of America. We owe it to Charlie Kirk. We owe it to ourselves and we owe it to our nation to continue that message. So please get up, get out there, and get involved. I agree with you. I do think that the future is bright, especially with so many young people, kind of, you know, coming to terms with the world that we live in and what's going on in America. However, do you think that this assassination of Charlie Kirk is a sign of a deeper civic collapse in America and is something that the rest of the world should really pay attention to as well? I would say that there is a civility issue in terms of not in the people themselves, but the institutions that govern over the people. And you're seeing this in three major sectors.

You're seeing it first in Congress and some of these government agencies that claim to actually do something proactive for the people but don't. 17% of Americans currently in February 2025 this year, they approved of Congress's job. the public partnership for service, only 33% of Americans trust the federal government. And also seven out of 10 Americans just don't feel that Congress cares about ordinary people like them. And you want to know how that's the case? You take a look at what Senator Chuck Grassley said yesterday during one of the judiciary hearings. He said, you know, all of those superstitions that you think about your government spying on you, well, guess what?

They're true. Arctic Frost had bank record subpoenas, seeing that the previous administration's FBI targeted 92 GOP organizations, including Turning Point USA, in an anti-Trump probe to try and stop their influence to try and get them from securing funding and auditing them for political purposes. So when you see this direct partisan polarization of some of these institutions, yes, it becomes hard to trust them. Yes, it becomes difficult to earn back their trust of the American people as well. And you're seeing that, too, with the legacy media. Because it's dividing people. You had Jimmy Kimmel yesterday say that Trump mourning Charlie Kirk's death was like a four-year-old mourning his goldfish. Are you kidding me?

There was another ABC reporter yesterday who was drawn by the compassion of the notes that the shooter left his transgender boyfriend. That's the wrong narrative we're focusing on. We have to be united in terms of not what these top-down agendas fail to do, but what the American people themselves can do. And that is assuming a good faith within most of the people, which they do have, which they know not to believe everything that they're being told, is that having conversations with their friends, their families, their peers, understanding their perspectives. And most importantly, just taking a fresh look at everything that's going around you because you can't take it for granted. but you also have to make sure that you understand at the current moment. These institutions have failed to do so, but that doesn't mean that we have to as well as a result. Thank you so much for your time today and all of the intelligent words that you've had to say about this issue.

Very much appreciate you having me on. Thank you. Our guest has been Alex Rosado and I'm Nicole Seguartow on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.