An array of conspiracy theories has flooded social media in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. One of the most prominent claims ties his death to the plot of the 1998 Nicolas Cage film Snake Eyes.
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on September 10 during one of his usual debate events at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. As law enforcement officials continue the investigation, online sleuths have pointed to what they call “eerie similarities” between the real-life tragedy and the Brian De Palma thriller, fueling a narrative of “predictive programming” among some of Kirk’s followers.
Snake Eyes movie parallels fuel online theories on Charlie Kirk assassination
The central plot of Snake Eyes revolves around a corrupt police detective, played by Cage, who uncovers a conspiracy during a boxing match when the Secretary of Defense is assassinated. Social media users were quick to highlight several alleged connections. The most cited parallel is the victim’s name, as in the film, the assassinated official is Secretary of Defense Charles Kirkland, while Kirk’s full name was Charles James Kirk.
Theorists also note that both Kirkland in the movie and Kirk in real life were shot in the neck. Another point of focus is the suspect’s name. A 22-year-old Utah native, Tyler Robinson, has been arrested and charged in Kirk’s killing; in the film, the boxer who throws the fight to create a diversion is named Lincoln Tyler. Finally, a connection to President Donald Trump, whom Kirk staunchly supported, was drawn from the fact that a portion of Snake Eyes was filmed at the Trump Taj Mahal.
Calls mount for action after Kirk assassination
The Snake Eyes theory is just one of many that have taken hold within the MAGA ecosystem, which has largely rejected the official narrative that the alleged shooter acted alone. Influential figures are pressuring the Trump administration to investigate sprawling networks of supposed conspirators.
“You’ve got to get to the bottom of these groups, you’ve got to get to the bottom of Antifa,” said War Room host Steve Bannon on his podcast, dismissing text messages released by prosecutors between Robinson and his partner as a “script.”
Responding to this pressure, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating Antifa as a “domestic terror organization,” despite Robinson having no known connections to the decentralized left-wing movement.
The 1998 Brian De Palma Film "Snake Eyes" is about a Politician named CHARLES KIRKland, who is assassinated by getting shot in the NECK.
Charles Kirkland = Charlie Kirk
Is that a stretch? Well…
The assassination occurs during a Heavy Weight Boxing Match. The boxer, who takes… pic.twitter.com/TDfg67dFPe
— Hiddeπ Amur∆Ka: Thr𓂀ce (G)REatEST ॐ (@AmurakaHidden) September 24, 2025
FBI Director Kash Patel has taken the unusual step of publicly confirming that the bureau is investigating theories that originated online, including the veracity of the text messages and claims that hand gestures from people in the crowd were “signals” to the shooter.
Other prominent right-wing figures have floated different, and sometimes conflicting, theories. Podcaster Candace Owens, a former colleague and close friend of Kirk, has used her show to suggest Israeli involvement. This baseless claim prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to release a video calling the rumors “insane” and “outrageous.”
At Kirk’s memorial, guest speaker Tucker Carlson was condemned by some Jewish groups for a eulogy that they said invoked antisemitic “blood libel” tropes.
No truth to viral theories
Misinformation has spread rapidly, prompting fact-checkers to debunk numerous false claims circulating online. Contrary to social media posts, the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, was neither a Republican nor a Trump donor; public records show he is an unaffiliated voter, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox stated that Robinson had been “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.”
Doctored photos have also circulated showing Robinson in t-shirts supporting either Trump or Kamala Harris, when the original images show him in plain clothing. Furthermore, claims about nefarious bystanders have been disproven. A man in a white cap, accused of giving hand signals, was identified as Kirk’s friend, Frank Turek, who accompanied him to the hospital. Another man, scrutinized for wearing what appeared to be a black glove, was a Kirk supporter who had a prosthetic hand.
Despite the swirl of online speculation, Utah authorities have maintained their belief that the suspect acted alone. When asked if investigators were confident in this assessment, Governor Cox said, “Yes…Every piece of evidence we have so far makes it very clear that the assassin acted alone.”
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