In a moment that captured the bleak mood of the nation, CNN host Michael Smerconish found himself visibly stunned by the results of a poll he posed to his viewers. The question? Whether the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk marks the beginning or end of a dark chapter in American history.
“Oh boy,” Smerconish reacted live on-air Saturday. “On the Spencer Cox, the Governor Cox question, is this the end of a dark chapter in our history or the beginning of a darker chapter? At 92%. I’m sure, I hope, you all want to be wrong in saying, ‘Uh-oh, it’s just the beginning.’”
The poll was straightforward. But the results were anything but reassuring.
Out of nearly 40,000 respondents by Saturday morning, a staggering 92% said the assassination of Kirk is “just the beginning” of something darker. Only 8% believed this moment signaled the closing of a painful era.
Kirk, the controversial 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. He leaves behind a wife and two young children. His death, already politically and culturally radioactive, now feels like something bigger—a flashpoint for a nation many feel is teetering on the edge.
Smerconish didn’t shy away from the gravity of that perception. But rather than spiral into panic or partisan blame, he offered a challenge to his viewers.
“What are you going to do about it?” he asked. “What are you gonna do about if that’s what you see for the country in light of the expertise that you heard on today’s program and over the span of the 12 years I’ve been here. You know what the answer is? Go volunteer. Go mentor someone. Go to church. Go to a synagogue. Go t0 a mosque. Go where you are among people. Get offline and rub shoulders, especially with those who are dissimilar from you. I could give you a laundry list of 50 ways to get it done. Go mingle.”
It wasn’t just punditry—it sounded more like a plea.
The sheer scale of pessimism reflected in the poll shook Smerconish, but it also served as a mirror for where Americans’ heads are right now. And the takeaway is chilling: many don’t believe this ends with Charlie Kirk. They believe this is the start of something worse.
Watch the clip below.
