President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance pledged to investigate leftist organizations after Charlie Kirk’s murder, expanding efforts to honor the conservative activist and preparing the land for a federal scrutiny of political opponents that some members of administration and supporters are partly responsible for their death.
Trump, speaking of reporters at the White House on Monday, said he would support the designation of the Antifa Movement as a domestic terrorist organization, if this measure were recommended by security authorities of his administration, and said he discussed an investigation for extortion against those who support leftist protests.
“I have talked to the Attorney General about applying the rich law against some of the people you have heard, who have invested millions and millions of dollars for agitation,” said Trump, referring to the law of corrupt organizations and influenced by extortion, which allows the accusation of criminal enterprises. “This are not protests. They are crimes.”
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Earlier on Monday, Vance took over Kirk’s program to present a two-hour broadcast from the vice president’s office in Washington, mixing honors to the late activist and accusations that death took place from the rhetoric of leftist and progressive groups.
“We need to talk about this extremely destructive movement of leftist extremism that has grown in recent years and I believe it is part of the reason Charlie has been killed by a killer bullet. Let’s discuss how to dismantle it,” Vance said on the show.
“We go after the NGO network that foster, facilitate and get involved in violence,” he added, referring to non-governmental organizations.
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Authorities did not directly link the murder to any political groups. Utah governor, republican Spencer Cox said that the suspect of fatal shooting had a “leftist ideology” while asked leaders to reduce political temperature.
Vance’s comments and the White House Deputy Cabinet Chief Stephen Miller – one of the architects of the administration’s political agenda – indicate a broad response and reinforce the message that Trump and other allies have made in recent days: that the wave of political violence in the country has been predominantly caused by leftist groups, and that their rhetoric and actions have been partially responsible for Kirk’s death.
However, recent targets of political violence include both Democrats and Republicans, including Trump himself. In June, for example, a Democratic Legislator of Minnesota and her husband were killed, and another legislator and his wife were shot. In April, an individual set fire to the residence of Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, forcing the evacuation of the democratic governor’s family.
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Still, Miller even claimed the existence of a left -wing domestic “terrorist movement” that management wants to dismantle.
“Let’s channel all the anger we have about the organized campaign that led to this murder to eradicate and dismantle these terrorist networks,” Miller to Vance told without identifying specific groups. “It is a vast domestic terrorist movement. And with God as my witness, we will use all the resources we have.”
Vance mentioned the tax status of foundations or groups aligned with progressive causes, but did not even ask for the change in exemption status.
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In the program, Vance received a weight list from Trump administration officials and allies, including Miller, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Conservative Tucker Carlson and other Kirk’s assistants and friends to honor the activist’s legacy. The White House also showed the program on screens installed in the press room.
Participants highlighted Kirk’s wide influence on the conservative movement, both as leader of the Turning Point USA, a group that sought to mobilize young voters, as well as Trump’s political counselor and ally.
Wiles credited Kirk and Vance for helping to facilitate the nominations of Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. She also stated that Kirk helped build an alliance between Health Secretary and Trump to support the Make America Healthy Again movement, or “Maha.” Wiles also said that Kirk was critical to Vance’s rise to Trump’s republican plate.
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“If it wasn’t for Charlie Kirk, I wouldn’t be the vice president of the United States,” Vance said.
Kennedy, in turn, called Kirk a “spiritual soul” and highlighted discussions about the role of social networks to incite shooting and other political violence, as well as the possibility of restricting these platforms.
“Ironically, I think Charlie would revolve against it, because he hated censorship. What he said is that the answer is conversation and dialogue,” said Kennedy.
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