We’re only halfway through September, and it’s already been a horrendous, violent month. Though the United States is no stranger to mass shootings and political assassinations, the public killing of the right-wing public figure Charlie Kirk has shocked many.
Unfortunately, it’s already apparent that this killing isn’t going to unite the very divided America any time soon. Almost immediately after Kirk was shot — before anyone knew anything about who was responsible for pulling the trigger — major conservative figures and politicians were claiming that the far left was to blame.
Now, President Donald Trump and his administration have made America even more divided than it’s ever been — and they clearly don’t want this to change any time soon.
JD Vance Rejects Unity
After Kirk’s death, many in the public eye called for a lowering of the temperature and national unity. The Trump administration didn’t. Instead, Trump and Vice President JD Vance quickly blamed the far left, incorrectly claiming that the left was responsible for many mass shootings in recent years.
Vance has even gone so far as to say that while he’s “desperate” for national unity, it’s “impossible.” Republican Rep. John Gillette of Arizona claimed that Democrats are similar to the Japanese attackers who bombed Pearl Harbor in WWII, while also stating that unity was “no longer an option.”
Trump doesn’t seem interested in unity, either. When asked by Fox News how Americans might be able to “come back together,” Trump shockingly said that he “couldn’t care less.”
The GOP Goes After the Left
Right now, Americans need leaders who will bring people together. Clearly, these leaders cannot be found anywhere near the White House. The Trump administration doesn’t want unity and instead is pushing the narrative that the left is to blame for all of this political violence.
It doesn’t matter that many former mass shootings, school shootings, or even political hits have been conducted by people who have turned into extremists because of the far-right ideology they’ve discovered online. Trump and his administration are attempting to completely change this narrative, blaming anything and everything on the left.
Trump’s authoritarian regime has already made steps to go after those they disagree with. Though many have touted Kirk’s freedom of speech — and how he shouldn’t have been killed because of his speech — the Trump administration is going after that freedom of speech they say they care so much about.
Attorney General Pam Bondi invoked Kirk’s death as a reason why the Trump administration would now be going after hate speech. According to Bondi, this isn’t protected by the First Amendment.
It’s awfully clear. If you don’t agree with the Trump administration, you’ll be targeted.
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