Summary
NBC News on the immediate political response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Trump blamed only left-wing rhetoric while omitting Democratic victims of political violence. Most politicians of both parties offered unifying condemnations. The contrast between Trump’s selective framing and the broader bipartisan response is documented here.
Key Points
- Trump’s video message: blamed “those on the radical left” and their rhetoric for Kirk’s death; listed only left-wing attacks (Butler PA, ICE agents, healthcare CEO shooting, Scalise shooting) — omitted Democratic victims
- Trump notably did not call Gov. Walz after MN Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated in June 2025; said “Why would I call him?”
- Former VP Harris condemned the shooting “unequivocally” and called for no further violence; Newsom posted “Disgusting, vile, and reprehensible”
- Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called it “a political assassination”
- Elon Musk (before Kirk’s death confirmed): “The Left is the party of murder”
- Rep. Nancy Mace: “Democrats own this”; rejected idea that Republicans have any responsibility for Democratic victims
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna: “EVERY DAMN ONE OF YOU WHO CALLED US FASCISTS DID THIS”
- Rep. Gabby Giffords: “Both parties have been targeted, and both parties share a moral and patriotic duty to take meaningful action”
- Political violence is not one-sided: two Trump assassination attempts in 2024 campaign; Pelosi’s husband attacked; Hortman assassinated; Shapiro’s house arson
Newsletter Angles
- The selective mourning template is established in this piece: Trump listed only attacks on right-wing figures while omitting attacks on Democrats in the same speech about unity. This is governing strategy, not inconsistency
- Giffords’s framing is the only bipartisan one in the piece — worth featuring as what the responsible response looks like in contrast to everyone else
Entities Mentioned
- Donald Trump — selective mourning; blamed only left-wing rhetoric
- Charlie Kirk Assassination — the event being responded to
- Gavin Newsom — condemned shooting; notable because he’d hosted Kirk on his podcast
Concepts Mentioned
- Political Violence Cycle — Trump’s selective response models which violence counts for millions of Americans
Quotes
“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.” — Trump
Notes
NBC News. September 10, 2025. Day of assassination. Good documentation of the political response spectrum from both parties.