It’s been nearly two weeks since conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk was assassinated, and in that time, President Donald Trump has seemingly launched a campaign against Kirk’s enemies in response. Trump was quick to blame left extremists for the killing, and this has set off a calculated chain of events that MAGA leaders seem to be in on according to some.
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Trump warned Sunday (Sep. 14) that “a radical left group of lunatics”
will be investigated following Kirk’s death. “If you look at the problem, the problem is on the left,” Trump told reporters. “And when you look at the agitator, you look at the scum that speaks so badly of our country, the American flag burnings all over the place, that’s the left. That’s not the right.”
As we previously reported, the shooting death of Kirk — a far-right conservative popular for his anti-Black and anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs — on Sept. 10 polarized folks on both sides of the ideological fence. Before the identity of alleged shooter Tyler Robinson was revealed, many of the MAGA faithful were already convinced the left was responsible.
Trump even championed the “bad leftist” conspiracy in the early hours of Kirk’s shooting. But despite the alleged killer having no discernible ties to far-left groups — contrary to what many conservatives have suggested— Trump has still waged war on liberals.
The president and his top allies have promised to revoke the visas of folks “celebrating” Kirk’s murder, label certain left-leaning groups as domestic terrorists and even to investigate hate speech as it relates to critics of Kirk, the New York Times reported.
Dozens have reportedly lost their jobs because of their social media posts about the podcaster, and Vice President JD Vance has championed a website dedicated to doxxing folks making fun of Kirk. “We want everything to be fair; it hasn’t been fair, and the radical left has done tremendous damage to the country,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday (Sept. 22). “But we’re fixing it.”
Over 85 percent of Americans said political violence is a serious problem in the country, a YouGov survey found. But experts noted instances of political violence found on both the far-right and far-left. According to some, Trump tends to downplay violence coming from his side of the aisle (see: the Jan. 6 insurrection). Still, many like Mehdi Hasan— writer and CEO of Zeteo News– feel like the president is using Kirk’s assassination to justify going after his enemies on the left.
The New York Times also reported that the administration is working on an executive order aimed at combating hate speech and political violence. According to a senior official, this order could come as soon as this week. With a publicized crackdown on leftists against Kirk coupled with the impending threat of an executive order in the conservative’s honor, some say it’s clear what Trump is trying to do.
In fact, several Trump allies have admitted to it. “Who killed Charlie? Left-wing radicals, and they will be held accountable,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told ABC News. Vance essentially agreed with Bondi: “We have to talk about this incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism that has grown up over the last few years and, I believe, is part of the reason why Charlie was killed by an assassin’s bullet,” he said, according to ABC News.
Meanwhile, leaders on the left like former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama have condemned the violence and urged the country to unite.
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