On September 17, local time, former US Democratic Party President Barack Obama criticized Trump and his government officials for leveraging political polarization in using the assassination.
During an event held in Pennsylvania, Obama said that while he did not know Kirk or disagree with many of his views, the assassination was "shocking, a tragedy" and he believed that the right of others to express strong opposition should be respected during the debate, while violence against different opinions is a threat to all and must be "clearly and directly" condemned for any violence.
Obama's Trump Administration Exacerbates National Splitting
America is at a "turning point"
Obama criticized the Trump administration. He said that the task of the U.S. government at this moment should be to unite the people of the country, not to aggravate the tearing of the country.
Obama said it was a mistake for the White House to blame the “radical left” before it really confirmed the truth of the suspect’s shooting and use it as an excuse to try to suppress discussions about where a country should go.
Currently, there is no evidence that Taylor Robinson, the suspect who shot Kirk, had conspired with others. The prosecutor's latest text record shows that the suspect confessed to his murder to a friend and said about Kirk, "I'm tired of his hatred. Some hatred can't be resolved through negotiations." The suspect's friend was shocked by this.
“When I hear not only our current president, but his assistants, call political opponents insects and enemies that need to be fought, it illustrates a broader problem we face now, and a problem we all have to work hard to solve,” Obama said, adding that “we have trouble when the U.S. government supports extremist views.”
The White House against Obama:
The one who divides is you.
For Obama's allegations, the White House spokesman denied Obama's statements and accused Obama of using every opportunity to create divisions and provoke contradictions among Americans.In the statement, the White House spokesman also said that more Americans felt that Obama divided the country rather than united the country after Obama resigned.
David Axelrod, a longtime adviser to Obama, said conflict and division were at the heart of Trump's political plan from the beginning.
At present, the Trump administration blames Kirk's assassination on the "radical left wing" and threatens to crack down on its political opponents on a large scale, on the grounds that Democratic organizations are involved in violent conspiracies against conservative values. Some Republicans, including Vice President Vance and Attorney General Bundy, have suggested that Americans who make inflammatory remarks about Kirk's death should be punished. Defense Secretary Hegeses has initiated procedures to suspend service members suspected of making negative remarks about Kirk.
However, many traditional establishment politicians in the United States began to call on the United States not to move towards violence and division. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Americans should "have heated debates but not lead to political violence." Former President Joe Biden said political violence "must stop immediately" and former President George Bush said "violence and malicious speech must be removed from the public sphere."
In addition to the assassination of Kirk, there have been several incidents of political-motivated violence in the United States. In April this year, a man allegedly set fire to the Governor's House while Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family slept on the floor. Trump was shot at a rally in July 2024. Multiple politicians said that after Kirk's death, they were rethinking or postponing outdoor activities. According to U.S. Congressional Police Statistics, 9,500 threats and worrying speeches against Congress in 2024.
Red Star reporter Wang Yalin trainee reporter