President Donald J. Trump on Sunday evening again reportedly placed responsibility for the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on “radical leftists and Democratic supporters,” telling reporters that agitators on the left have created an environment of hostility toward Americans who hold conservative views.
Speaking on the tarmac at Morristown Airport before boarding Air Force One, Mr. Trump addressed questions about Kirk’s assassination, which took place last week as the 31-year-old commentator spoke on the campus of Utah Valley University.
The gunman, a 22-year-old man, is being held without bail and is expected to face formal charges on Tuesday.
Asked what left-leaning organizations his administration was examining in relation to the crime, Mr. Trump did not hesitate. “Well, the problem is on the left,” he said. “The problem is on the left if you look at the problem — it’s not on the right like some people like to say, on the right. The problem we have is on the left. When you look at the agitators, 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.”
Pressed on whether formal investigations were underway, the president made clear that federal authorities had already begun examining individuals and groups. “We’ll see. We’ll be announcing. They’re already under investigation. They’re already under major investigation. A lot of the people that you would traditionally say are on the left,” Mr. Trump said. When asked to clarify, he repeated, “Already under investigation.”
The president also addressed his earlier pledge to revoke visas for foreign nationals who celebrated Kirk’s murder online. “No, we haven’t, but we are looking at names,” he said. “We don’t like that, that’s not right. We wouldn’t celebrate if something happened on their side, and we don’t. These are sick people.”
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, had become a prominent figure in conservative circles for championing free speech on college campuses and for his close relationship with the Trump administration.
His death has sparked bipartisan condemnation, but also isolated celebrations among fringe voices online — celebrations that Mr. Trump described as symptomatic of a dangerous left-wing culture.
Since the assassination, the president has consistently blamed “radical left lunatics” for fostering hatred against conservatives. He argued Sunday that the assassination is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of extremism emanating from the left.
The president’s remarks highlight the deepening political divide in the aftermath of Kirk’s killing.
For Mr. Trump, the incident reinforces his longstanding claim that left-wing activism has crossed the line into dangerous hostility toward those with differing views. “You look at the agitators,” he said, “that’s the left.”
With the investigation into the suspected gunman ongoing, Mr. Trump’s comments make clear that his administration is prepared to look beyond the individual shooter and scrutinize the broader networks of radicalism he believes fueled the tragedy.
[READ MORE: Trump Calls For National Healing]
