East Central Reporter

Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Illinois-born founder of Turning Point USA, the Illinois Freedom Caucus—led in part by State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville)—has filed articles of impeachment against J.B. Pritzker, citing what they describe as the governor's role in contributing to a divisive political climate.

“There is no question this was a political assassination,” Halbrook told the East Central Reporter. “Charlie Kirk was a champion of free speech. He engaged in honest discussion and discourse and treated those who disagreed with him with dignity and respect. He was a good man who was murdered for having an opinion. I am filled with sadness and anger that someone would kill another human being for simply have a different point of view. This is a dark day for America.” 

Kirk, born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, began his political work as a teenager in Lemont. He grew TPUSA into a $92 million organization with thousands of student chapters, helping shape conservative youth activism. 

Illinois state Rep. Brad Halbrook | rephalbrook.com

Widely followed across media platforms and known for his youth outreach and political work leading to Donald Trump’s re-election, Kirk’s speaking event in Utah where he was assassinated was intended to rally conservative engagement through his American Comeback Tour.  

He is survived by his wife Erika and their two young children. 

Halbrook said Kirk’s influence was enormous, both in Illinois and nationally, and suggested that his reach could have led him to even higher office. 

“Charlie Kirk is one of the most influential figures in political history,” he said. “He had a magnetism and charm that made it easy for him to connect with people. There is no doubt that he would have become president of the United States someday. He was one of the most effective communicators of conservative ideas and principles in the nation.”

In comments immediately following Kirk’s shooting, Pritzker placed much of the blame on Trump, arguing that his language and behavior have emboldened extremists.

“I think there are people who are fomenting it in this country,” Pritzker said. “I think the president’s rhetoric often foments it.”

The Illinois Freedom Caucus formally filed articles of impeachment against Pritzker, citing comments made by Pritzker in March and April, including statements about "punching bullies" and denying Republicans "a moment of peace"  as creating a dangerous political environment. 

The impeachment effort faces political obstacles; with Democrats holding a supermajority in the Illinois House, the passage unlikely. Still, Halbrook claims that Pritzker’s public comments are not just irresponsible but directly contributing to political violence.

“These are the same people who call Republicans Nazis and refer to Donald Trump as a ‘Threat to Democracy,’” he said. “Their irresponsible rhetoric is a contributing factor to why Charlie Kirk was murdered. They may not have been the ones pulling the trigger, but their over-the-top hateful rhetoric is fueling the violence.”

Halbrook accused left-wing institutions of manipulating the narrative to discredit conservatives.

“This is the game the left plays,” he said. “They fund front groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center who issue reports casting conservative groups as 'hate' groups. Then their friends in the media use those reports as cover to cast conservative organizations and conservative causes as hate groups. But the reality is that standing for truth is not hate and because it is not hate speech to embrace truth. Charlie Kirk was a man of faith and virtue. Casting him as the villain is cruel beyond measure. He went above and beyond to give people with whom he disagreed every opportunity to debate him. The victim blaming here is unacceptable.”

Halbrook said progressive media and political rhetoric has real-world consequences when it comes to violence against conservatives. 

“There is no question that the reckless words of supposed mainstream politicians have contributed to the violence,” he said. “When you have political leaders saying these outlandish things – it proves a clear justification for unhinged radicals to respond with violence. The hate speech from Democratic politicians needs to stop.”

In a recent commentary for The Daily Signal, Steve McKee argued that while individuals may not be legally liable for violent acts like the assassination of Kirk, many are morally culpable for the toxic political environment that helped enable them. He warns that mischaracterizing political opponents with extreme labels like "fascist," "bigot," or "Nazi" fuels dangerous polarization and dehumanization. 

“JB Pritzker has called Republicans Nazis,” Halbrook said. “This is the same guy who issued 38 emergency power declarations and was one of the last governors in the country to surrender emergency powers during the pandemic. It is laughable for authoritarian Democrats to cast the people who fighting to reduce the size of government of being fascists. But we should not be surprised. The left will say anything to gain power.”

Kirk’s alleged shooter, who inscribed bullets found in the murder weapon with the words “fascist,” is being characterized as a “trantifa” leftist radical who admired Antifa and lived with a biologically male transsexual lover. 

Pritzker has been one of the most prominent Democrats to label former Trump a fascist, even comparing Trump’s actions to those that led to the fall of democratic institutions in 1930s Nazi Germany. While Pritzker condemned the killing and called for cooler rhetoric, a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal he will continue using terms like “fascist.” 

Halbrook called on conservative communities to turn grief into action. 

“We need people to wake up and vote,” he said. “The lesson from the murder of Charlie Kirk is that we need to be vigilant to get involved and make sure politicians like JB Pritzker who are enabling violence never to have political power again.”

Halbrook concluded with a call to action, urging citizens to recognize the stakes of the current political climate.

“This moment must be a wake-up call for honest, decent people to get engaged,” Halbrook said. “We must speak up and we must never again laugh off the hateful rhetoric from the far-left. Their deliberate choice of words leads directly to violence. The days of just shrugging off the hateful remarks of far-left politicians are over. What they are saying is dangerous and we must stop ignoring them.”

Halbrook represents House District 107 which includes the communities of Shelbyville, Taylorville, Pana, Effingham and Sullivan.