Charlie Kirk on Operation Sindoor. What slain activist said during India-Pak conflict — "This is not our..."

Charlie Kirk, a well-known conservative commentator and close ally of US President Donald Trump, was tragically killed in a shooting at a Utah college event on Wednesday (September 10). Earlier this year, Kirk weighed in on the escalating military tensions between India and Pakistan, warning the United States against direct involvement in the conflict.

In a May podcast titled, “What the Heck is Going on in India!”, Kirk discussed the heightened hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorist camps within Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. He described the two countries as being dangerously close to war. Kirk criticised Pakistan for harboring terrorists, calling it a “deceptive actor,” while pointing to the anger in India’s majority Hindu population following the attack. He referenced reports of air and missile strikes on multiple sites in Pakistan, resulting in casualties and aircraft losses on both sides. While acknowledging that both India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed nations, Kirk argued that the concept of mutually assured destruction would likely prevent any nuclear escalation.

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Emphasising the United States’ role, Kirk said, “Maybe we slightly favour India because they are responding to Islamic terror, but that should only amount to moral support. This is not our war to fight — it is not a conflict we should get involved in.” Meanwhile, on Thursday (September 11), Trump announced that Kirk would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honour.

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking at the Utah event on September 10. At a Pentagon ceremony, Trump praised Kirk as a powerful voice of his generation and an inspiration to many, particularly young people. “Charlie’s courage and message will continue to impact lives for years to come,” Trump said.

Authorities reported that the gunman, believed to be college-aged, leapt from a rooftop and fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said law enforcement has images of the suspect and is confident in their ability to apprehend him. The FBI later confirmed recovery of the high-powered rifle used in the attack, found in a nearby wooded area. Special Agent Robert Bohls said the firearm is undergoing forensic testing. Investigators also found a footwear impression and a forearm mark at the scene, both of which are under analysis as part of the investigation.