Musk Cites Security Fears After Kirk Assassination, Limits Public Outings

WASHINGTON — Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Tuesday that the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has heightened security risks, making it nearly impossible for him to appear in public without endangering his life.

In an interview on "The Katie Miller Podcast," hosted by the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, Musk explained that Kirk's killing in September has reinforced the dangers of public exposure for high-profile figures.

Miller asked Musk when he last did something ordinary, like shopping at Target. "I can't go to things where there's the general public because there's an immediate 'Can I have a selfie?' line that forms, and these days — particularly in light of Charlie Kirk's murder, there are serious security issues," Musk replied. "It's not that I don't want to. I simply can't."

Pressed on whether Kirk's death altered his habits, Musk said it "certainly reinforced the severity of the situation where life is on hardcore mode. You make one mistake, and you're dead ... it only takes one mistake."

Kirk, 31, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck by a sniper while speaking at an outdoor event on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem on Sept. 10, the start of his "The American Comeback" college tour. He died hours later at Timpanogos Regional Hospital. Authorities charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder and other counts; prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty, with the trial set for January 2026.

Musk attended Kirk's public memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sept. 21. Following the killing, Musk publicly urged de-escalation in political rhetoric, targeting the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for its "Glossary of Extremism and Hate," which had categorized Turning Point USA under its Center on Extremism and linked the group to right-wing extremists, anti-Muslim figures and white supremacists. The entry cited dozens of controversial statements by TPUSA members dating back to 2015 and accused Kirk of promoting Christian nationalism.

Musk posted on X that the ADL "hates Christians," calling it a "hate group," and warned that such labels "encourages murder." Facing backlash from Musk and Republican lawmakers, the ADL retired the glossary on Sept. 30, stating it had been "intentionally misrepresented and misused." The organization said the move would allow it to refine strategies for combating antisemitism and hate more effectively.

Kirk's death, the first assassination of a major U.S. political activist in decades, has sparked debates over political violence and security for public figures. Musk, a key Trump ally and co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency, has faced protests and vandalism against his companies amid his involvement in administration policies. He told Miller that avoiding Trump ties might have prevented some backlash, including the burning of Tesla vehicles worldwide.

--REAL AMERICA'S VOICE

#####