The killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has sparked a wave of online criticism from the far right targeting FBI Director Kash Patel, both for his handling of the investigation and his invocation of Norse mythology during a press conference.
At a news conference announcing the arrest of Tyler Robinson, 22, the alleged killer, Patel made triumphant statements, including “This is what happens when you let good cops be cops.” However, his closing remark, “I’ll see you in Valhalla,” directed at Kirk—a devout Christian—drew mockery on far-right platforms like Telegram and 4chan.
Critics noted the irony of a Hindu FBI director telling an assassinated Christian he would meet him in Valhalla, a Norse warrior heaven. One Telegram channel operated by former members of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division sarcastically called the press conference “amazing.”
Earlier, Patel faced ridicule for prematurely announcing on X that the FBI had arrested Kirk’s assassin, a claim that proved false. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin called the error “amateur hour.” Memes spread on far-right accounts, including one showing Patel on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” with options like “Find Charlie’s shooter” and “Shit on the street.”
Patel, the son of Indian Gujarati immigrants, has faced racist attacks since his tenure began, with some far-right figures using anti-South Asian slurs. Analyst Joshua Fisher-Birch noted that many of the same channels mocking Patel have previously used racist tropes against him.
Beyond Patel, some extremist far-right voices have called for retribution against liberals, suggesting Kirk’s death heralds the decline of the moderate right.
