George Abaraonye, in his apology, attributed his “impulsive” reaction to the conservative influencer’s own words and the media’s amplification of them.
George Abaraonye, the president-elect of the Oxford Union debating society who previously debated Charlie Kirk, has retracted social media posts where he appeared to mock Kirk’s murder.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday in what authorities are calling a targeted political assassination. Shortly after the news broke, Abaraonye, slated to become Union president in January 2026, posted celebratory messages on WhatsApp and Instagram.
According to screenshots circulating among Oxford students and British media, he wrote “CHARLIE KIRK GOT SHOT LET’S F****** GO,” in a WhatsApp group chat. He also added, “SCOREBOARD FN,” alluding to video game kill statistics. On Instagram, he posted: “Charlie Kirk got shot loool.”
Abaraonye, who had clashed with Kirk on “toxic masculinity” in May, admitted to making the remarks, describing them as “impulsive” and made “prior to Charlie being pronounced dead.”
He maintained that “nobody deserves to be the victim of political violence,” but claimed that Kirk’s “horrific and dehumanising statements” regarding gun rights, Gaza, and LGBTQ issues influenced his “raw, unprocessed response.” He also expressed concern that the media had “ignored” his retraction while highlighting the deleted comments.
The Oxford Union leadership quickly distanced itself from Abaraonye’s comments. Current president Moosa Harraj denounced them as “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable,” emphasizing that they do not reflect the Union’s values. Former Union president James Price resigned from its charitable trust in protest, stating that the president-elect had “doubled down” instead of issuing an apology.