When conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on a college campus in Utah, the nation erupted in shock, grief, and rage. For some, Kirk was a hero; for others, he was the worst of the worst. But behind the headlines, what does his death mean for free speech, political violence, and the health of our democracy?

In this episode, Hillari Lombard reflects on the personal and political aftermath of Kirk’s murder. From the disturbing spread of the shooting video on social media, to the “grief policing” playing out online, to the uncomfortable truth about America’s epidemic of gun violence—this conversation doesn’t look away.

Most of all, it asks the urgent question: what happens to a country when words are answered with bullets?