Approximately two dozen students gathered last week at Claremont McKenna College in memoriam of Charlie Kirk, founder of the MAGA-aligned organization Turning Point USA and leading conservative figure for college students across America. Vigil attendees were met with intermittent heckling, small-scale disruption, and digital harassment.

Charlie Kirk, right-wing commentator and father of two, was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking to a crowd of college students. Only two days earlier, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released its 2026 report about free speech on America’s college campuses. 

Claremont McKenna College claimed first place in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s 2026 Free Speech Rankings on Tuesday, while Pomona College clocked in at 247th of 257 colleges. The other Claremont Colleges’ placements spanned between the two, with all but CMC earning an “F” grade.

CMC professor Christopher Nadon. Claremont McKenna College (CMC) professor Christopher Nadon alleged  in 2022 that CMC Dean of Faculty...

Pitzer Free Wall on March 6. The Free Wall’s History and Recent Controversy Pitzer College’s Free Wall  has recently become the canvas...

Image via Claremont Institute The Claremont Institute, a modest building in an Upland office park, is home to a cluster of influential...