Drake College GOP, university officials disagree on response to Charlie Kirk posts

A Republican student group at Drake University is asking university administration to decry social media posts that it says celebrate the assassination of right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk. The university states it cannot do so due to the anonymity of the posts.

Drake College Republicans stated in a news release published Thursday that Drake University officials are refusing to speak out against posts made on Yik Yak, an anonymous social media site based around college campuses, around the anniversary of Kirk’s shooting death at Utah Valley University.

“The wave of students celebrating this violence, as if it is a holiday, reflects the decline of civility on Drake’s campus and in our country, the very decline Charlie Kirk fought against and eventually cost him his life,” said Josie Thompson, chair of the Drake College Republicans, in the release.

Both the Drake College Republicans and Drake Strategic Communications Director John Krantz confirmed that Thompson met with officials early this week to discuss the posts. Thompson said in the release she was informed that the administration did not plan to publicly condemn the posts.

Krantz said in an emailed statement that “Drake has no ability to govern or offer recourse” regarding Yik Yak posts because it is an anonymous platform. He said Thompson refused the administration’s suggestion that it send out an email to the student body focused on university civility principles and encouraging responsible social media usage.

“Many of the statements on YikYak were inappropriate, in poor taste, and not in alignment with the values and principles of civility across differences upon which our university stands,” Krantz said in his email.

Some of the posts referenced Drake College Republicans, according to screenshots of posts sent to the Iowa Capital Dispatch by the student group, with one calling the group “corny.” Other posts used phrases like “kirkmas” and “kirkaversary.”

Drake officials also thought that putting out a statement specifically about the social media posts may “spur more posts at a time when the conversation had already ceased,” Krantz said, while a more general statement could be more meaningful for the overall issue.

Thompson said in the release it “says something” that Drake decided to remain silent on this issue compared to past topics the university has addressed publicly, and wondered how the university would react if these posts were in response to a liberal political figure’s killing or targeting a different student organization.

“The Drake Administration is choosing silence over civility,” continued Thompson. “It’s time for the University to stand up to this type of rhetoric and serve all of its students, including Republicans.”

When Kirk was killed on Sept. 10, 2025, Krantz said Drake College Republicans worked with the university’s office of student affairs to organize a vigil “which was held successfully, civilly, and without incident.”

This year, the organization is again working with Drake Democrats, another student organization, to gather signatures to make the university a midterm election polling place and on other voter registration initiatives.

“We will continue to foster this type of collaboration across political differences while offering support for any members of our community who feel attacked or unwelcome,” Krantz said in his email. “We are exceptionally proud of the vast majority of our students and campus community who are empathetic and thoughtful in their words and their work, and who are actively collaborating to build a political space where differences don’t mean division.”