Trump Escalates Attacks on Political Opponents After Charlie Kirk's Killing

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https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/us/politics/trump-kirk-political-opponents.html

https://archive.ph/cUNCk

Trump Escalates Attacks on Political Opponents After Charlie Kirk’s Killing
President Trump has promised to bring the killer to justice while using the moment to blame the left — and only the left — more broadly.
By Tyler Pager and Nick Corasaniti
Sept. 13, 2025 Updated 1:24 p.m. ET

President Trump and his top advisers are escalating their attacks on their opponents in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing, placing the blame for political violence on Democrats alone and signaling a broad crackdown on critics and left-leaning institutions.

Mr. Trump blamed the “radical left” almost immediately after Mr. Kirk was shot, before the authorities had identified a suspect. He promised to find those responsible for political violence, as well as the “organizations that fund it and support it.”

Mr. Trump has an expansive view of those he deems radical, applying that term to almost all of his political adversaries. In his second term, Mr. Trump has pushed the boundaries of his authority to exact retribution on political opponents and institutions.

The death of Mr. Kirk, a popular young conservative activist, has added fuel to Mr. Trump’s campaign against his opponents. He and his administration have promised to bring the killer to justice while using the moment to blame the left — and only the left — more broadly.

Critics of the administration now worry that Mr. Kirk’s murder could be used as a pretext to move even more aggressively against those who speak out against Mr. Trump.

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