Utah Governor Blames Social Media for Deadly Political Violence

US-POLITICS-HOMICIDE-MASS-MEDIA-CRIME — Source: PATRICK T. FALLON / Getty

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Sunday described social media as a “cancer,” saying it has directly contributed to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and other political figures in recent years.

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Cox delivered a forceful critique of social media algorithms and the damaging effects he believes they have, particularly on young people.

“I believe that social media has played a direct role in every single assassination and assassination attempt that we have seen over the last five, six years,” Cox, a Republican, told host Kristen Welker.

“There is no question in my mind — ‘cancer’ probably isn’t a strong enough word. What we have done, especially to our kids, it took us decades to realize how evil these algorithms are,” he added.

Cox is one of several leaders speaking out against social media following Kirk’s death.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) echoed those concerns on CBS’s Face the Nation, arguing that algorithms “push people to the extreme.”

“The algorithm is all — on social media is always pushing who’s the angriest, who’s the loudest, who says the craziest thing, that’s what gets repeated over and over and over again,” Lankford said.

“So anytime that there is cogent dialogue or an issue on something where people may disagree, but they’re having a civil conversation on it, that gets pushed aside, toward someone that’s just angry and focused.”

Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10 at a Utah college. Graphic videos of the attack have circulated widely online, but Cox has urged the public not to watch them. At a press conference after the incident, he also pointed to violent clips — including the recent fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina — as harmful to viewers.

“We have not evolved in a way that we are capable of processing those types of violent imagery. And by the way, we’ve seen another one with a gruesome stabbing very recently that went viral. This is not good for us. It is not good to consume,” Cox said. “I would encourage people to log off, turn off, touch grass, go hug a family member, go out and do good in the community.”

Authorities have arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in connection with Kirk’s killing, though the role social media may have played in the attack remains unclear.

Amid widespread online speculation about Robinson’s motives, much of it inaccurate or unverified, Cox confirmed on CNN’s State of the Union that Robinson’s roommate is cooperating with law enforcement.

“The roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female,” Cox said. “I can say that he has been very cooperative. This partner has been incredibly cooperative, had no idea that this was happening and is working with investigators.”

Cox also told CNN that Robinson had been “indoctrinated” with “leftist ideology,” though he did not go into detail beyond saying Robinson “was not a fan” of Kirk. Reporting from The New York Times further noted that Robinson had joked on Discord about a “doppelganger” shooter trying to frame him.

Formal charges against Robinson are expected on Tuesday.

Cox also pointed fingers at “conflict entrepreneurs,” including conservative commentator Steve Bannon, for their heated rhetoric, as well as at tech companies for the addictive design of their platforms.

“They’re hijacking our agency. They’re hijacking our free will with these dopamine hits, same chemical reaction as fentanyl,” Cox said. “Getting us addicted to these platforms and outrage releases a dopamine hit, for sure. And they are taking no responsibility for this … We absolutely have to hold them accountable.”

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