WASHINGTON: For some Americans on the far right, Charlie Kirk died a “martyr” and any criticism of the hugely popular conservative activist must be punished. Online vitriol and grassroots persecution have exploded in the wake of the assassination of the 31-year-old who had been an electrifying presence on the US right, with the killing further deepening fraught political divisions in the country. Laura Sosh-Lightsy, assistant dean of students at a university in the southern state of Tennessee, found herself in hot water after posting on social media about Kirk’s death. “Hate begets hate.

FBI Director Kash Patel reported that "the investigation continues" and promised to provide updates on its progress

Activist, organizer and influencer, the young man played a key role in the right-wing movement as a defender of conservative values. Donald Trump immediately blamed the violence…