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by WILL FOLKS
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Clemson University faced a firestorm of public criticism – and calls for the elimination of its state funding – after the taxpayer-subsidized institution of higher learning refused to fire multiple professors and bureaucrats who endorsed, glorified or encouraged political violence in the aftermath of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk‘s shocking assassination.
Multiple Clemson professors were seen on social media celebrating or mocking Kirk’s murder – but some took it a step further by appearing to call for additional assassinations of conservatives.
In some of the most inflammatory rhetoric, posts attributed to Robert “Robin” Newberry – the school’s asbestos program manager – called conservatives “Nazis” and referred to Kirk a “cancer” who was getting his due “in hell.”
“Fuck these Nazis,” a Facebook post attributed to Newberry noted. “They stood by and said nothing when Democrats were assassinated, but now that one of their own – a cancer on our constitution that has now thankfully been ameliorated – they lose their shit.”
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“Live your life such that people don’t celebrate your death,” another post attributed to Newberry stated. “That being said, I hope he gets what he deserves in hell.”
In perhaps the most shocking commentary of all, though, the account linked to the longtime school employee encouraged our youth to follow the examples of alleged Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson and Luigi Mangione – the anti-capitalist, climate change zealot accused of murdering health insurance executive Brian Thompson in downtown New York City in December.
“In a world full of Charlie Kirks and Brian Thompsons, be a Tyler Robinson or a Luigi Mangione,” the post noted.
Such hateful rhetoric – and Clemson’s weak response to it – drew condemnation from several members of South Carolina’s congressional delegation. Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman and William Timmons were among those who called the school out for its failure to take corrective action.
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RELATED | CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED ASSASSIN IDENTIFIED
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“This isn’t going away,” Mace wrote on X. “I will make sure of it.”
“We are having to fight a taxpayer-funded school over employees whose salary is funded by taxpayers because the school won’t fire said taxpayer-funded employees for supporting political violence,” Norman wrote on his X account. “The taxpayers and students deserve better!”
“Absolutely disgusting that Clemson professors would celebrate the assassination of Charlie Kirk,” Timmons posted to his X profile. “Anything short of firing them is unacceptable.”
S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson – who along with Mace and Norman is running for governor of South Carolina in 2026 – also put the school on notice.
“We’re all still waiting on answers from Clemson University regarding the vile, reprehensible comments made by professors celebrating and justifying Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” Wilson wrote on X. “I’ve called President Clements. Regardless of your politics, anything other than condemning violence and his brutal murder is unacceptable–especially if you’re tasked with instructing our youth.”
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Even the U.S. House judiciary committee got involved, responding to the school’s weak statement with a powerful two-word rejoinder: “Defund Clemson.”
While Clemson waffled, conservatives in the S.C. Freedom Caucus took the lead in responding at the state level.
“That’s it,” caucus chairman Jordan Pace noted. “Now Clemson faculty is inciting violence against conservatives. It’s time for a special session to end this.”
Pace’s group subsequently called for S.C. House speaker Murrell Smith to call a special session to “rescind budget appropriations for Clemson University” and pass H. 3927, a bill which would eliminate divisive, indoctrinating DEI programs at all institutions of higher learning in the Palmetto State.
Smith’s silence on the matter was deafening, unfortunately, as was the silence of Nikki Haley – a former South Carolina governor who happens to be a member of Clemson’s board of trustees.
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Does @NikkiHaley truly ‘Stand for America?’ Or does she stand for @ClemsonUniv’s embrace of anti-American hatred? Guess we are gonna find out… pic.twitter.com/7sAkYrDADh
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) September 13, 2025
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Hell, even U.S. senator Lindsey Graham – arguably the most liberal South Carolina “Republican” politician – spoke up on this one, stating “those who made these despicable, inappropriate and classless statements should be good candidates for termination by this public university.”
Indeed they are…
For more than a decade, FITSNews has repeatedly called for the privatization of South Carolina’s institutions of higher learning – arguing “no taxpayer funding should go to institutions of higher learning, either in the form of direct appropriations, loan guarantees or student loans.”
Why not? Because higher education is not – and never has been – a core function of government (especially not the inefficient way it’s done in the Palmetto State).
Our media outlet has also stood against rampant indoctrination on these campuses – and consistently called out Clemson’s unconstitutional form of governance. For those of you unfamiliar with this wrinkle, a majority of the school’s 13-member board of trustees are lifetime appointments – which is in direct contradiction of Article XVII, Section 1.B. of the S.C. Constitution, which explicitly states “no person shall be elected or appointed to office in this state for life.”
What better time than now to finally enforce that prohibition?
Many colleges and universities – including Clemson – have sought to defend their decisions not to fire faculty or staff by invoking the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, arguing the authors of these poisonous hatreds have free speech.
To be clear: no one is saying speech isn’t free (well, almost no one). And no one is recommending anyone be deprived of life, liberty or property simply for voicing their opinions. What we are saying is taxpayers should not be obligated to subsidize those opinions – and all employers (public or private) must be free to fire employees whose values no longer align with the values of the organization.
Perhaps that’s the problem at Clemson, though. Maybe these hateful comments are its values? And maybe this is the school’s way of showing it?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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12 comments
You are so full of it. You love free speech when you love it. As long as you can write bought and paid for propaganda it is fine.
Right wingers have been spewing hateful and violent rhetoric for years and you say nothing. It is fine to criticize Clemson and these people. But while you, Nancy Mace, and Alan Wilson are on your knees in front of Trump don’t come in here with your bullshit holier than thou attitude.
What happened to Kirk was tragic. But don’t act like you are above it. You are not.
What a douche… if his words don’t see it, his picture does.
Get help Josh.
Horse$hit sir. We don’t attempt to assassinate our opponents. And your asinine conflation withers when faced with the facts:
Family Research Council attack (by Floyd Lee Corkins II)
Attack on Rand Paul (by Rene Boucher)
Rep. Steve Scalise (by Bernie supporter James T. Hodgkinson)
Attempted assassination of Justice Brett Kavanagh (by leftist Nicholas Roske)
Pres. Trump (Twice by leftists)
Murder of Tenn. Christian school children (by leftist trans)
Murder of Minn. Catholic School children (by leftist trans)
Murder of middle of the road conservative Charlie Kirk (by trans neo-marxist leftists) yes plural
You’ll be hearing about AQSC in the coming days.
Fire every demonic leftist that spouts their evil trash.
They are responsible for indoctrinating our young.
We’re done with you…
Those are not facts, my friend. That is a partial list you made where you left out a bunch of events. Ask yourself, if you are correct, why you had to edit the list?
Alt right groypers vs mainstream MAGA. Im getting popcorn.next I’ll hear is that Nick Fuentes is an American Patriot- lmao.
Poor widdle kitties a beat down in the media and a beat down on the field!
Free speech is good, but only so long as it is the “right” speech, or so it seems. If your opinion is wrong, woe be unto you.
Anyone listen to 560 WVOC in the afternoon and evening? It is literally “Brainwashing 101” with constant hate for the Democrats and liberals. I listen out if curiosity and for a degree of immunity it builds in my system to the hate speech it and other outlets spew, non-stop. On many things, friends tell me I am to the right of Atilla The Hun. On others, maybe not quite so much. As a general rule, I am not a fan of what the liberals do. I am a 2A absolutist. I dislike silly, does more harm than good, approaches to automobile emissions and environmental issues, and support deportation of illegal aliens.
Still, the non-stop “hate the liberals and Democrats” on so-called “conservative” talk radio, not only gets old, but is a bit scary. It is non-stop most days and one cannot help but wonder the impact it has on the human psyche and willingness to go harm someone else based on their political beliefs. One of the worst is Mark Levin. He constantly harps on the harm Democrats do to our country and whines about why don’t people love and worship the Jews and Israel more than they do. Yes, the liberals and Democrats have and do create harmful policies. I would not argue that they don’t. But what about the harm the so-called “conservatives” and “Republicans” cause? The Democrats wouldn’t be able to do an iota of the evil they do without the help of the Lindsey Grahams, Tim Scotts, Raplh Normans, John Thunes, Mitch McConnells, Kirsten Gillibrands, Nancy Maces, and many, many others, who vote with them and help pass harmful bills, or give them power to help in the crafting of abominations like The “Big Beautiful Bill”.
The “hate speech” thing is alive and well on both sides. Unlike many, I have not had any urges to go “punch out a Democrat or a liberal” or worse and I doubt that I will.
Correction: Kirsten Gillibrand was always a Democrat. Replace with Lisa Murkowski.
The right is still going to bat for a Nazi groyper from a hardcore MAGA family by blaming his actions on the left. Even Benny Boy Shebibo is embarrassing himself on television doing this crap.
Damn, the likes of Nick Fuentes is not worth covering for. Find your souls.
Lol Will, you’re doing a great service and we so appreciate it. I envy your thick skin.
“Hate speech”? This is the “news” site that frequently claims there is no such thing as hate crimes.