President Donald Trump on Wednesday night blamed the rhetoric of “the radical left” for the assassination of ally Charlie Kirk, vowing to punish those involved in the killing and to crack down on political violence.
“It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequences of demonizing those with whom you disagree, day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible,” Trump said, speaking directly to the American people in a 4-minute recorded statement shot in the Oval Office.
“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop now.”
Kirk was shot at about 12:20 p.m. MST while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. He was later pronounced dead. Authorities are hunting for the gunman, who shot the conservative political activist from the rooftop of a nearby building.
Trump described Wednesday as a “dark day for America,” stating that his administration “will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials and everyone else who brings order to our country.”
He then listed violence targeting conservatives, including the assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pa., in July 2024, the 2017 shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise and the December shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York as examples of violence perpetrated by the political left.
Trump did not mention political rhetoric from the right directed at liberals, including by the likes of Kirk. He also did not mention far-right political violence targeting Democrats, including the June assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker or the 2022 attack that hospitalized Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
“Radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” he said, calling on Americans to commit themselves to the values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law and “the patriotic devotion and love of God.”
He called Kirk “the best of America” and “a martyr for truth and freedom.”
“The monster who attacked him was attacking our whole country,” the president said.
