In the days after the Sept. 10 assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, Utahns were asked how they felt about the tragic event that took place in their state and what they think it means for the U.S. political climate moving forward.
A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics state poll was conducted by Morning Consult among Utahns, and the same questions were asked of all Americans.
Utahns more likely to see footage of Kirk’s death
The two surveys showed how Utahns were impacted by the tragic event in their state compared to the nation as a whole. More Utahns were “very shocked” by Kirk’s death, a sentiment expressed by 64% of Utahns compared to 47% nationally.
They were also more likely to have seen footage on social media of Kirk getting shot. Around 7 in 10 Utahns saw the footage or knew someone who saw the footage compared to 57% of all Americans.
Kirk’s visit to UVU, in Orem, Utah, was the first stop on his fall “American Comeback Tour.” He had planned to return to the state on Sept. 30 for a stop at Utah State University.
After throwing hats out to the crowd, Kirk sat down at his “Prove Me Wrong” table, and started taking questions from those lined up at the microphone amid a 3,000-person crowd gathered on the grass of the university’s outdoor amphitheater.
Just two questions into the event, a single shot rang out and Kirk fell to the ground after being struck in the neck. His security team rushed him to Timpanogos Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old St. George man, was detained the evening of Sept. 11, after his parents encouraged him to turn himself in. Robinson was charged with aggravated murder and six other counts in relation to the shooting.
More than 9 in 10 Utahns worried about political violence
For the residents of “Happy Valley,” the nickname given to the Orem-Provo region home to UVU, and those living in other parts of the state, Kirk’s death at a Utah college was jarring.
More than 8 in 10 Utahns said they were following news of the shooting very or somewhat closely, compared to 66% of all Americans, while 9 in 10 Utahns said they are very concerned about political violence in the country.
Utahns worried about safety at political events
In the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, Utahns said they did not feel safe attending a political event.
When asked if they feel safe “attending political events or rallies in the United States today,” only 5% said they felt very safe, compared to 62% who said not at all or not very safe.
More than 5 in 10 Utahns said they are now less likely to attend political events or rallies, while about 3 in 10 said Kirk’s killing hasn’t changed their view of attending events.
A similar number of all Americans expressed the same concerns.
Besides potentially chilling political engagement, Kirk’s killing comes amid concerns expressed by Utahns and the nation as a whole about political division in the country.
About 8 in 10 Utahns said they were concerned about civil unrest, political polarization, threats to freedom of speech, domestic terrorism and gun violence.
Utahns were about five points more likely to be concerned about these issues than Americans as a whole.
Utahns approve of how Gov. Cox, FBI, local law enforcement handled the incident
Utahns were asked to weigh in on how various agencies and public officials responded to Kirk’s killing.
Here’s how Utahns and Americans as a whole responded when asked, “Do you approve, or disapprove, of the way the following groups or individuals have responded to the incident involving Charlie Kirk?” Respondents were also able to choose “don’t know/no opinion.”
- President Donald Trump — 47% of Utahns said they approved or somewhat approved of his response, compared to 41% who said they did not approve. Nationally, 42% of Americans approved of Trump’s response compared to 38% who did not approve.
- Utah Gov. Spencer Cox — 59% of Utahns approved of his response, compared to 21% who disapproved. Nationally, 41% approved compared to 17% who disapproved.
- FBI Director Kash Patel — 43% of Utahns approved of his response compared to 25% who disapproved. Nationally, 38% of Americans approved compared to 24% who disapproved.
- The FBI — 56% of Utahns approved of the FBI’s handling of the incident, while 21% disapproved. Nationally, 49% approved while 20% disapproved.
- Local Utah law enforcement — Among Utahns, 68% said they approved of local law enforcement’s response to Kirk’s killing, compared to 16% who did not approve. Nationally, 51% of Americans said they approved of Utah law enforcement’s response, compared to 15% who did not approve.
- Republicans — 46% of Utahns approved of the GOP’s response to the incident, compared to 36% who disapproved. Nationally, 40% of Americans approved of the GOP’s response compared to 34% who disapproved.
- Democrats — In Utah, 36% of respondents approved of Democrats’ response, while 41% disapproved. Nationally, 38% approved of Democrats’ response, while 33% disapproved.
Who do Utahns blame for political violence?
When Utahns were asked who they blame for the current climate of political violence, Utahns’ were more likely to choose social media platforms, with 29% of Utahns choosing that response compared to 22% of all Americans. Utahns’ other two choices mirrored the rest of the country: politicians (43%) and the media (29%).
When asked if they blamed the left or the right for political violence, 25% of Utahns said the left compared to 20% who said the right, with 37% saying the left and right bear equal responsibility.
Among all Americans, 22% chose the left compared to 24% who said the right. Three out of 10 Americans said they bear equal responsibility.