The assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has ignited a political firestorm in the United States, with prominent conservative figures immediately blaming “the Left” and the Democratic Party’s rhetoric for the attack, and some calling for the party to be banned as a “terrorist organisation”.
Even before authorities had apprehended a suspect or released information about his motives, an incendiary narrative quickly spread online from leading political commentators, who blamed what they termed “leftist violence” for Kirk’s death. Authorities later identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson, 22, stating he had no known political affiliation, was not a member of any party, and had not voted in the past two elections.
In overt and thinly-veiled posts, some called for a swift and harsh response against their political opponents, often targeting the Democratic Party or what is broadly termed “the Left”.
An intended moment of silence for Kirk on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening quickly devolved into a scene that exposed the raw political division. As the silent prayer passed the 30-second mark, Republican Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado demanded an audible prayer, saying: “I believe silent prayers get silent results.”
Her request was met with jeers from some Democrats, who pointed out that a school shooting in Colorado on the same day had not received such an honour. From across the aisle, Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida shouted, “You guys caused this,” to which a Democrat retorted, “Pass some gun laws!”
“When a politician tries to blame words for an action, they should look at their own actions and their own record first,” Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters outside the Capitol. “The assassination of Charlie Kirk threatens an eruption of political chaos and violence that we cannot afford in America.”
Trump blames “radical left rhetoric”
While lawmakers from both parties condemned Kirk’s assassination and political violence in general, many Democrats stressed the lack of sufficient gun control laws, whereas numerous right-wing figures, including President Donald Trump, placed the blame squarely on “the Left”.
In a speech, Trump said that “the radical left’s rhetoric, comparing great Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the worst murderers and criminals in history, is directly responsible for the terrorism we are witnessing in our country today.”
Trump not only blamed “the Left” for Kirk’s assassination but also for the assassination attempt against him in July 2024, the killing of a healthcare executive in New York in December, and the 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball practice where Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise was wounded.
“The political violence of the radical left has harmed so many innocent people and taken so many lives,” Trump said, vowing that his “administration will prosecute everyone who contributed to this crime and other acts of political violence, including the organisations that fund and support them.”
“The party of murder”
The sentiment was widely shared on the right. Kaelan Miller, wife of White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, posted on X: “It’s truly fun to watch all of these liberals decrying political violence now. You called us Hitler. You called us Nazis and racists. You have blood on your hands.”
Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman who has frequently embraced right-wing views, wrote on X: “The left is the party of murder.”
Laura Loomer, a far-right activist close to Trump, wrote: “The Left are terrorists.” She added that Kirk’s assassination was a precursor to “more targeted assassinations. You could be next.” In another post, she said: “We have to silence these insane leftists. Once and for all. The Left is a national security threat.”
Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of the right-wing media outlet The Federalist, described the Democratic Party as “a domestic terrorist organization whose extremists will not hesitate to murder their political opponents.”
Conservative political consultant Joey Mannarino wrote: “The Democrat Party must be designated a domestic terrorist organization and its members and leaders treated accordingly. It’s over.”
The actor James Woods, a vocal Trump supporter, wrote that the left “murdered” Kirk. “The Left says it wants a national conversation. Charlie Kirk actually did that. In the lion’s den, no less, in left-leaning venues, in the hope that facts and reason would prevail. For that they killed him.”
“This is war”
Several right-wing commentators and politicians framed Kirk’s assassination as a declaration of war.
“The Left and its politics are leading America into a Civil War. They want it. Just like the Democrat Party wanted our first Civil War. The gloves are off,” said Republican Representative Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.
Alex Jones, the far-right radio host known for promoting conspiracy theories, said on a broadcast: “This is war, this is war, this is war.”
Chayya Raichik, who runs the anti-leftist account “Libs of TikTok”, also posted the phrase “This is war.” Andrew Tate, the right-wing influencer, posted on X: “Civil war.”
Fox News host Jesse Watters said on air: “Whether we want to accept it or not, they are at war with us. And what are we going to do about it? How much more political violence are we going to tolerate?”
Calls for a crackdown
Meanwhile, some right-wing influencers called for the Trump administration to take harsh action.
“It is time to drop the hammer on the Left,” wrote Patrick Casey, host of a conservative podcast. Matt Forney, a right-wing journalist, called Kirk’s assassination “America’s Reichstag Fire,” a reference to the 1933 arson of the German parliament that the Nazis used as a pretext to suspend civil liberties.
“Time for a complete crackdown on the Left,” Forney wrote. “Ban the Democratic party. Shut down CNN and MSNBC. Military tribunals.”
Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist, invoked former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s campaign against leftist groups in the 1960s, urging that it was time to “infiltrate, disrupt, arrest, and imprison everyone responsible for this mayhem.”
Amid the firestorm, a few right-wing figures sought to de-escalate tensions. “The violence and hatred must stop,” wrote Nick Fuentes.
However, others suggested that Kirk’s killing had made any reconciliation impossible. “Let the record show that debate was tried first, and this is what happened,” wrote the far-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos.
Oron McIntyre, a host at the right-wing media outlet The Blaze, said: “They shot the voice of reason in the throat. So now it’s time to get unreasonable.”
