Podcast host Joe Rogan used his platform to address reactions to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered on September 10 at Utah Valley University.

Rogan, joined by actor Charlie Sheen at the time news of the shooting broke, was visibly shaken as he processed the reports live on air.

Kirk, 31, was known nationally for founding Turning Point USA and for touring college campuses to host debates and discussions. His outspoken criticism of leftist policies drew both strong support and opposition. According to Rogan, Kirk’s death was celebrated in some circles, a response that he described as disturbing.

During the broadcast when news first emerged, Rogan remarked, “There’s gonna be a lot of people celebrating this.”

Sheen, sitting with him in the studio, agreed.

Rogan later returned to the subject on his September 30 show, reflecting on the public response in the weeks since Kirk’s killing.

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“Well, the Charlie Kirk thing f**king opened up my eyes,” Rogan said.

“Yeah, I never expected so many people would celebrate that man’s murder.”

He continued, “Bizarre, just bizarre, like normal people, that I think, think they’re good people, and they think they genuinely think that guy was a bad guy, and I don’t think they’re right, and I think they were indoctrinated. And I don’t agree with everything that Charlie Kirk said or did—”

Brandon Coleman, a member of the band The Red Clay Strays who appeared on Rogan’s show, also weighed in.

“I don’t care if he was a bad guy or not. I don’t want to see him, I don’t see anybody die,” Coleman said.

Rogan noted that Coleman and Kirk were close in age, with Coleman a year or two younger than the 31-year-old activist. He described Kirk’s college appearances as events where he engaged in debates on controversial issues, particularly against policies he believed were part of a leftist agenda on campuses.

“He would go around to college campuses and have arguments with people, or have discussions with people, have debates with people,” Rogan explained.

“But it infuriated people, because they felt like this guy is going against the progress that was being made in society. But what he did not feel, like, was progress, like it was a progressive agenda that was being pushed in most college campuses.”

Rogan continued, “It’s a leftist, Marxist sort of agenda. He didn’t feel like that was the correct way to live, and he felt like he had arguments against it, and he wanted, and it was, you know, it’s a business too, right. Like, he developed this big social media platform because of it.”

Coleman was blunt in his assessment of people celebrating Kirk’s death.

“That’s evil,” he said.

Rogan pressed the issue further, questioning the reaction. “What the f**k is wrong with us?” he asked.

Coleman replied, “It’s just really weird now.”

Rogan added, “It’s really weird, and it’s celebrated to hate people, and that’s the weird part, and most of us know that that’s wrong. And that’s why, like, when this Charlie Kirk thing happens, there’s a giant blowback. And most people recognize like ‘hey, as collectively, as a society, this is not right.’”

He criticized what he called hypocrisy among progressives who promote gun control while celebrating an act of violence.

“These are supposed to be the kind compassionate, inclusive people that are celebrating gun violence, public execution like— That’s insane. That’s, that’s a public assassination. That’s insane,” Rogan said.

Rogan attributed much of the response to confusion and the influence of online rhetoric. “We’re all just, so many of us are confused because of the rhetoric online and again, a lot of that’s not normal. It’s not organic, it’s not real, it’s not real people, and it’s not what you would ever get in real social circles of healthy people,” Rogan said.

“You’re only getting it through this very bizarre filter of just text on social media and videos where someone’s just talking to the camera, celebrating on social media. It’s like, it’s very strange,” he added.

ROGAN: “The Charlie Kirk thing opened up my eyes. I never expected so many people would celebrate that man’s murder. That is evil … especially when you’re seeing people on the left, that are supposed to be … the inclusive people, celebrating gun violence. That’s insane.” pic.twitter.com/uny1gokRwQ

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) October 1, 2025

The comments from Rogan and his guests reflect the wider debate over the reaction to Kirk’s death, as his killing continues to reverberate across political and cultural circles.

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