Laguna Beach mayor condemns political violence after shooting of conservative commentator

During a recent episode of the radio program Fair Game Laguna, Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Ranaghi called the shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk a “devastating” act and said political violence cannot be tolerated.

Rana ghi spoke about the incident after host Tom Johnson introduced the topic, saying the footage of the attack demonstrated how brutal it was. “Political violence is never the answer,” Ranaghi said. “Political violence is never the answer, and it can never be tolerated in The United States Of America.”

Ranaghi criticized the increasing polarization of national politics and described recent deadly attacks on public officials as part of an “alarming trend.” He said local government work is largely nonpartisan—focusing on wildfire prevention, public safety and water reliability—but that national rhetoric has become more hostile. “When you have violence, it really is an attack on our democracy,” Ranaghi said.

Host Tom Johnson prefaced the mayor’s remarks by noting the country’s recent incidents of political violence and asking for Ranaghi’s thoughts. Ranaghi said he could not imagine what the victim’s family is going through and noted the victim’s age and family status as part of his concern.

The conversation on Fair Game Laguna was framed as condemnation and a call for civility; no local policy actions or directives were announced on the program.