What were Charlie Kirk's exact words about Biden's punishment?

Checked on December 6, 2025
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Executive summary

Charlie Kirk said on his July 24, 2023 podcast that President Joe Biden is “a corrupt tyrant who should honestly be put in prison and/or given the death penalty for his crimes against America,” a line that has been repeatedly resurfaced after Kirk’s 2025 assassination [1]. Multiple outlets have replayed that clip and noted Kirk’s broader advocacy for broad use of the death penalty in murder cases [2] [3].

1. The exact line investigators and fact‑checkers reproduced

Snopes reports the quote verbatim from a July 24, 2023 episode of The Charlie Kirk Show: Kirk said Biden is “a corrupt tyrant who should honestly be put in prison and/or given the death penalty for his crimes against America,” and Snopes found the attribution to Kirk to be correct [1]. Irish Star and other outlets circulated the same clip and quote, adding separate footage in which Kirk reportedly said he wanted to see public execution in other contexts [3].

2. How this comment resurfaced and why it matters now

After Kirk’s September 2025 assassination, media and social platforms replayed his past rhetoric; Reuters and other reporting documented the aftermath, including campaigns to punish those who celebrated or mocked his death [4] [5]. That resurfacing focused attention not only on the July 2023 quote about Biden but also on Kirk’s consistent, public support for capital punishment in violent crimes [2].

3. Context: Kirk’s broader stance on the death penalty

Multiple outlets note that Kirk repeatedly advocated capital punishment more broadly, saying someone who takes a life “should have their life taken” and debating details such as whether children should witness executions [2]. This pattern shows the Biden comment was not an isolated rhetorical flourish but part of a recurring position Kirk advanced in public appearances and his programs [2] [3].

4. Political and media reactions documented in reporting

News coverage of Kirk’s killing emphasized how polarized responses have been: Republican officials condemned celebratory posts and backed disciplinary measures against people who posted them, while other commentators warned about chilling effects and the dangers of punitive social campaigns [4] [5]. The reporting shows the quote’s circulation fed both efforts to punish online commentators and debates about free speech, cancel culture and political violence [5].

5. What sources explicitly confirm — and what they do not

Snopes explicitly confirms the July 24, 2023 quote and attributes it to Kirk [1]. Irish Star and Fox News cite the same language and related Kirk clips advocating execution in other scenarios [3] [2]. Available sources do not mention any alternate, materially different “exact words” attributed to Kirk about Biden beyond the cited phrasing and the associated clips (not found in current reporting).

6. Why wording and provenance matter in this moment

The precise phrasing — juxtaposing imprisonment and the death penalty — has legal and rhetorical weight: it ties a political denunciation to a call for the most extreme state sanction. Reuters’ broader coverage of consequences following Kirk’s death shows the quote’s revival helped fuel campaigns that led to firings and investigations affecting hundreds [4]. That connection heightens the importance of accurate sourcing, which Snopes and other outlets provided by locating the original podcast segment [1].

7. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas in the coverage

Pro‑Kirk and conservative outlets emphasized his calls for strong punishment for violent offenders and framed disciplining of his critics as selective enforcement or “cancel culture” [2] [5]. Fact‑checkers and mainstream outlets focused on verification and context, showing the quote’s authenticity while also situating it within Kirk’s longstanding rhetorical pattern [1] [3]. Each source carries an implicit agenda: partisan outlets foreground punishment and martyrdom narratives, while fact‑checkers prioritize transcript accuracy [2] [1].

Limitations and final note: all factual assertions above rely on the provided reporting; available sources confirm the July 24, 2023 attribution and related clips but do not provide additional verbatim variants beyond those cited [1] [3].

Want to dive deeper?
What exact phrase did Charlie Kirk use regarding how Biden should be punished?
In what context and platform did Charlie Kirk say Biden deserved punishment?
Did Charlie Kirk call for legal action or physical punishment against Biden?
How did media outlets and fact-checkers respond to Charlie Kirk's statement about Biden?
Has Charlie Kirk clarified or retracted his comments about punishing Biden?