The assassination of Charlie Kirk triggered a vast social media discussion both in the United States and internationally. As the U.S.’s polarized context appears to increasingly shape political debates abroad, this event provides a window into how online conversations unfold after instances of political violence, shedding light on both the transformation of existing tensions and the emergence of new ones.

Charlie Kirk’s assassination, an act of political violence, intensified national debate about polarization and free speech. We examine public attitudes towards political violence, assessing whether the incident and ensuing debates are perceived by Canadians as a shared concern or a uniquely American issue.

We evaluate how the death of Charlie Kirk, a prominent right-wing American commentator, has provoked widespread online debate. Controversy around the legacy of Kirk has sparked discussion around the increasing partisan divide, ideological polarization, and threats of political violence. That has spilled over into the Canadian information landscape.

A warning for Canada’s democracy: Act now to protect future elections. Canada’s 2025 federal election upheld its integrity but exposed a digital ecosystem under mounting strain.

With high confidence, it appears that though the Kremlin has exploited Kirk’s death as part of its information warfare strategy, employing tactics outlined in the FBI’s Doppelgänger affidavit.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk has been followed by a massive amount of polarized online discussions in the Canadian information ecosystem, fuelling disinformation, partisan conflict, and mobilization exposing the risk of targeted and/or large scale unrest and physical harm.

• Canada post strike, tied for the most talked about story of the year

• Canadians place little trust in celebrity and well-known political influencer endorsements

• Concern about US foreign influence jumps 7%

• Persistent misinformation in the Canadian information ecosystem

• The US Election was closely followed and discussed in Canada.

• Canadians think the Trump presidency will be terrible for Canada.

• Huge spike in Canadians attributing foreign influence to India.

• Widespread awareness of calls for Trudeau to step down.

• TikTok increasingly dominates news engagement.

• Elected officials lose trust. 

• Podcasts playing an increasingly important role in Canada, particularly for the politically interested.

• CBC surges in popularity, BlogTO enters the Top 5 and appetite for local news increases.

Key findings:

• Canadians want the government to get involved in the fight against bots

• The ecosystem has become slightly more polarized

• Engagement with misinformation and concern about fake content increases