To the surprise of some, actor Sean Penn recently argued that the world needs more people like Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was recently assassinated. 

Penn made the remark during a recent interview with the New York Times. 

As we will see, Penn, of course, is no Republican. He made it clear during the interview that he disagrees with just about everything that Kirk believed in.

Sean Penn says "we need" people like Charlie Kirk in politics to promote open discussion and compromise on social issues:

"We need that debate. We’ve gotta fight it out and find a compromise. [Acts of political violence] do come into fashion, and the way we kill the fashion of… pic.twitter.com/9jpROCZ25X

— Variety (@Variety) September 27, 2025

We need 'more' Kirks

The Times spoke with Penn not long after the assassination of Kirk. During the interview, the outlet asked Penn to comment on the situation.

It was in his reply that Penn argued that the world needs more Kirks.

"Charlie Kirk, it seemed to me, though I didn’t follow him a lot — one of these people who certainly I disagree with on almost everything — truly believed everything that we disagreed on. I didn’t get the sense that he was one of these snake oil salesmen," the actor said.

He continued, "I think we need that guy. We need that debate. We’ve gotta fight it out and find a compromise. These things do come into fashion, and the way we kill the fashion of it is people of conscience on both sides recognizing that if somebody really believes something, that’s your friend."

Penn also said that he believes Kirk's assassination was "different" than other assassinations that America has witnessed in recent years.

"You're just stupid."

The interviewer appears to have gotten worried that Penn was ceding too much ground to conservatives, so the interviewer asked Penn to clarify the "that's your friend" remark.

"I’m not talking about some sociopathic Nazism. I’m talking about if somebody believes that a human being starts at conception, if you can’t understand that concept, you’re just stupid," Penn said.

He continued:

And if you’re not willing to tolerate the concept as a concept that’s held as deeply as I may have a belief that, I don’t know, let the woman decide. All of these are valid opinions. What’s the consensus in society, civilly? This murderer who shot the insurance executive? I’m no fan of health insurance companies, but Jesus, man, is that the best argument you got?

In other words, Penn, like many others, seems to believe that there is no place for violence in the political sphere.

That should be something that we can all agree on.