Outspoken activist Clementine Ford has sparked outrage with a furious Instagram rant in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death.
The MAGA firebrand, 31, was shot in the neck shortly after midday on Wednesday during a rally at Utah Valley University, in what has been described as a ‘political assassination’ by the state’s governor.
The alleged gunman, who was caught on camera dashing across a rooftop in the moments after he opened fire, is still at large.
Ford addressed the news on Thursday – but did not condemn the shooting – claiming ‘almost every freedom you have has been won through political violence’.
‘Charlie Kirk was a piece of s*** who worshipped at the altar of political violence, and I will waste no tears nor time on lamenting his demise,’ she said.
The controversial comment was part of a caption for a screenshot of an article headline by feminist news and opinion site Jezebel.
‘We paid some Etsy witches to curse Charlie Kirk,’ the headline read, which was published two days before the pundit’s death in Utah on Wednesday.
Jezebel was forced to add an Editor’s Note at the top of the article condemning the shooting, after the 31-year-old was killed by an unknown shooter.
The pundit Clementine Ford (pictured) has weighed in on the murder of right-wing MAGA firebrand Charlie Kirk, who was shot on Wednesday during a rally at Utah Valley University
Ford shared a screenshot of an article by feminist news and opinion site Jezebel published two days before Kirk’s death, which referenced witches putting a curse on Kirk
‘This story was published on September 8. Jezebel condemns the shooting of Charlie Kirk in the strongest possible terms,’ it read.
‘We do not endorse, encourage, or excuse political violence of any kind.’
Addressing the Jezebel headline, Ford quipped: ‘The witching hour is upon us.’
A vocal supporter of Palestine, she also used the opportunity to reference the war between Israel and Hamas.
‘Democrats and self proclaimed ‘progressive’ pundits will join forces with the far right and openly fascist to devote more words of condemnation and remorse to the assassination of a white supremacist cheerleader for genocide in just one day than they will have for the last two years of Israel’s barbaric assault on Gaza.
‘We will see more headlines mourning Charlie Kirk than have ever been written about Hind Rajab, whose five-year-old body was pierced 355 times by US-funded Israeli terrorists.
‘The same lawmakers lining up to claim “violence is never the answer” will continue to insist ‘Israel has a right to defend itself’, maintaining their staunch silence on the snipers who take out children and journalists and aid workers and health providers.’
In the comments, Ford said she ‘actually dreamt last night that Trump died and then woke up to this’.
Kirk (pictured) was a loyal Trump ally and founder of Turning Point USA, a non-profit that spreads right-wing ideology at US colleges
The social media post has received significant backlash, with some expressing their ‘disgust’ over her words.
‘By using someone’s death to make content and declare you have no empathy makes you no better than you claim him to have been. Two wings, same bird,’ one person commented.
Another said: ‘This is disgusting. You should all be ashamed to wish this upon someone and rejoice. Regardless of what your political views are – this is heinous.’
Kirk, who was a loyal Trump ally and founder of Turning Point USA – a non-profit that spreads right-wing ideology at US colleges, toppled from his chair as blood spurted from his neck.
He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was declared dead.
US President Donald Trump described him as a ‘martyr for truth and freedom’ and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast at the White House.
But Ford is not alone in her unapologetic commentary regarding his death; influencer and podcaster Abbie Chatfield declared she ‘hated’ Charlie Kirk – before using his death to make a grim political prediction.
‘Even though I hate Charlie Kirk this is bad for everyone to be honest,’ Chatfield wrote on Instagram.
‘The right (and possibly the left) will become more violent in replacement of actual democracy. He will be martyred. They won’t see that this is BECAUSE of right-wing views on gun control that this could even happen.
Former reality TV star Abbie Chatfield (pictured) said she ‘hated’ Kirk, before using his death to make a grim political prediction about how both political sides will become more violent
Satire outlet The Chaser also appeared to publish a controversial joke about Kirk’s death
‘It will cause tensions to rise and drive people further apart than we already are. If this is the beginning, then what’s to come?’
The former reality TV star also shared a quote Kirk gave in April 2023, with Alanis Morissette’s song Ironic playing over it.
‘I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights,’ the quote reads.
Kirk’s comment had caused fury at the time as it was made only a month after a shooter killed three children and three adults at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee.
Australian satire outlet The Chaser also appeared to publish a controversial joke about the fatal shooting of Kirk on Thursday, which received widespread backlash.
His death coincided with R U OK? Day, a national Australian initiative held on the second Thursday of September to promote mental health awareness and encourage people to check in on others.
In response, The Chaser published a satirical headline: ‘R U OK Day not going well at Turning Point,’ a reference to Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organisation Kirk founded.
The post was met with immediate condemnation and comments and replies were turned off on X.
Charlie Kirk (right) speaks on stage with President Donald Trump at America Fest 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 22, 2024
‘The Chaser gloating over Charlie Kirk being shot in the neck and bleeding out to death in front of his family. They’ve turned off comments. Share this around so they disgrace themselves all around the world,’ one user wrote.
‘Once funny. Eons ago. Now just bitter, irrelevant and sick,’ said another.
‘Engagement to stay relevant when you’re not,’ someone else said.
The Chaser, once known for its popular ABC program The Chaser’s War on Everything, now operates as an independently funded website.
While The Chaser is funded independently, no longer having a direct association with the ABC, taxpayer-funded advertisements by the ABC, for its new show ‘Optics’, appear alongside the article.
Daily Mail contacted ABC for comment.
