Utah Governor Says Social Media Is “A Cancer On Society Right Now” As He Laments Spread Of Video Of Charlie Kirk Killing

Utah Governor Spencer Cox called social media “a cancer on society right now,” as he lamented the proliferation of graphic videos of Charlie Kirk‘s assassination.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Cox said, “If you look at true political assassinations in this country, of someone of this stature, this feels a lot like the late 60s. And having one so gruesomely displayed on camera in all of our hands and in all of our pockets. We are not wired as human beings, biologically. Historically, we have not evolved in a way that we are capable of processing those types of violent imagery.”

He also cited a video of the stabbing of a woman, a refugee from Ukraine, on Charlotte, NC public transit.

“This is not good for us. It is not good to consume. Social media is a cancer on our society right now, and I would encourage people to log off, turn off, touch grass, hug a family member,” Cox said. “Go out and do good in your community. That is happening, and it is happening organically right now.”

Videos of the killing were prevalent on social media platforms in the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s killing, showing the moment when he was struck by a bullet to the neck. The videos came from eyewitnesses who were present at Kirk’s appearance at Utah Valley University, where he was addressing thousands in the first stop of a college tour.

Broadcast and cable networks like CNN did show some of the footage, but stopped the images and ran only audio, with the sounds of those in the crowd screaming.

Kirk, 31, was among the most prominent influencers on the right, who capitalized on social media to reach and organize for the organization he co-founded, Turning Point USA. A suspect, Tyler Robinson, 22, is in custody.

Spokespersons for Google/YouTube, TikTok and X did not immediate respond to requests for comment. A Meta spokesperson said that they are applying a warning label to footage of the shooting and restricting the videos to those 18 and older. They also are removing content that “glorifies or supports the incident or the perpetrator,” the spokesperson said.

Cox also called for restraint in reaction to Kirk’s assassination, noting that residents of Utah did not riot or loot or engage in violence, and instead held vigils and said prayers.

“We can return violence with violence. We can return hate with hate,” Cox said. “And that’s the problem with political violence. It metastasizes, because we can always point the figure at the other side. At some point we have to find an offramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse.”

“History will dictate that this is a turning point for our country,” he said.